


Seven Days - Choices

by whimsicalmuse



Category: The Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: Angst, Humor, M/M, Post-Filming Lord of the Rings (Movies), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 20:59:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7729513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whimsicalmuse/pseuds/whimsicalmuse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Follow up to the Seven Days Series.</p><p>Takes place years later.</p><p>The two face the next big step in their lives.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Shirasade: this story was originally archived at the [Monaboyd.net Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Monaboyd.net), which was closed in September 2014 due to software issues and a lack of new submissions for several years. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in October 2014. I e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact me using the e-mail address on the [Monaboyd.net Archive collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Monaboyd_Archive/profile).

Categories: [Lotrips](http://monaboyd.net/archive/browse.php?type=categories&catid=20) Characters:   
Genres:  None  
Warnings:  None  
Challenges:  
Series: None  
Chapters:  8 Completed: Yes  
Word count: 28740 Read: 9442  
Published: 23 Aug 2004 Updated: 23 Aug 2004

Chapter One by starlikeshadow

Every morning Dom has the same routine. He drags himself out of bed before Billy, (even when the bastard has an earlier call than him), takes a piss, (to take care of that silly morning wood problem), and heads into the kitchen to make tea, eggs, and porridge. It doesn’t matter if they are on the road, (he just orders the food from room service), or what house they are in, (he has a tea kettle in all three of them), and his routine has not been broken since the two got "married" nearly four years ago.

He’d like to think his routine (and subsequent service for Billy) is part of the give and take in their relationship, that it makes up for the great gumbo Billy has learned to cook thanks to Emeril, or is compensation for Dom’s refusal to do the laundry, but he’d be lying. No, Dom keeps this routine because it is a sweet reminder of just how blessed he is to have Billy to wake up to in the morning, because at one point, Dom honestly doubted they would ever even be together again.

They had had a row, and if they hadn’t reconciled, for all Dom knew, Billy would be married to someone else now.

Speaking of marriage, their commitment ceremony is a memory that he is fond of recalling, and in fact, on that particular morning, it was ripe in his mind, as their anniversary was coming soon. It would seem that every year since they bound themselves to one another, a great change or decision has been made in honor of their anniversary, and he had wondered what was in store for them now. The first year they brought a house in LA, both to boost their careers, and appease Dom, who had admitted to feeling a bit stifled in the slick streets of Glasgow. The second year, they got a dog, Daisy, who turned Billy into a small pile of spineless goo and thoroughly whored the Scot for affection and forbidden treats under the table. The third year, they decided to get in on a good deal on real estate in New Zealand, and snapped up a lovely house near the beach, where they would take off to on summers that allowed it, and surf to their heart’s content. Now, as their fourth year of being together arrived, in the months before the occasion Dom pondered what was left for them to do, to achieve?

Of course professionally, neither would ever be truly satisfied, acting was a mutual passion. Dom had went back to the theatre for a year, even landed a few roles on Broadway, and Billy, on the other hand, and strayed from theatre a bit to get into movie roles he could sink his teeth into, and had done everything from a romantic comedy to a period piece. More important than what roles they took in the industry, was their role in the industry, as one of the few openly gay couples widely known. In contrast to Billy the lover, Billy the husband had been fiercely protective of their privacy, and both worked hard to carry themselves with an air of dignity and class.

Dom laughed into his tea cup. Well, _Billy_ behaved himself. Dom was known to be cheeky, but for all that he lacked in grace, he more than made up for in talent, and even the staunchest naysayer was hard-pressed to object to _his_ performances.  
Eventually the two had earned enough clout to get their movie in the works at last, and despite their director’s suggestions, the two had refused to make it a gay romantic comedy. It was written as a buddy flick, and would remain a buddy flick.

Then again, it is easy to overrule the director when he is an old friend, and helped plan your wedding.

Yes, Sean Astin, hell, the entire fellowship cast had done their part to make their plans a reality, and he would always be in their debt for their help and service. News of their engagement had traveled fast despite the fact that six of nine fellowship members had been in various places all over the world. When they finally convened in one location that December for Peter’s first annual fellowship reunion, their relationship was a hot topic that would not be ignored.  


*

"So, when’s the blessed event?" Sean Bean had asked, his eyes glinting mischievously over his beer. The other men grunted in approval, and both Dom and Billy did their best to avoid eye contact.

"Well, we ah, haven’t found a place to have it yet," Billy replied, and Dom was amazed at how convincing and logical the man could sound after 7 beers.

Thank God for the Scottish alcohol tolerance.

Sean Astin was ever quick to put his two cents in. "There are plenty of places in the world that would recognize the union, you know. Some states have even passed new laws now, so that all you would need to do is hire a willing justice of the peace and get on with it."

Dom remembered squirming a bit in his chair, because when you put it like that, there was no good reason for them _not_ to be married.

"I have the perfect spot for a wedding, in a place that would not have a problem with your union, if you are serious about doing it," Ian remarked for the first time, and Dom met his eyes.

"Could you give us his contact information?" Dom replied softly, Ian was just as surprised at Dom’s remark as Bill was.  
  
Weeks later they were in contact with a Ms. Constance Fleetwood, who was a justice of the peace that specialized in same sex commitment ceremonies, and within a month from the time they first scheduled their meeting with her, the pair found themselves immersed in the planning of their secret union. Neither had wanted the publicity that an arrangement like theirs would solicit, therefore all details of their ceremony were kept secret. After months of anticipation from both sides of the family, co-workers, and friends, Dom and Billy pledged themselves to one another one gentle May evening on the island of Molokai. The justice of the peace had been a bit dodgy (in Dom’s opinion) at times, rambling about true love and light, but none of that really mattered once Billy took his hand in his, and vowed to love and cherish him, body and soul, from this day and thereafter. They stood barefoot, drenched in the dying sunlight near the edge of a cliff that overlooked the sea, and when Dom tasted his sweet kiss he knew he was making the best decision.

When the kiss was over, and the party began, the two enjoyed themselves surrounded by people and support. On occasion a stray helicopter would fly overhead, and the guests would throw their arms (or key fingers) up in complaint, but all in all, everyone enjoyed themselves, and managed to go the entire evening without doing something that they would never live down.

Well, most everyone.

Ian had been into the punch a bit too much, and during a rowdy conga line, had decided that Orlando was good enough to eat, and spun him around and planted a wet drunken kiss on his lips. This might have been thoroughly embarrassing for both parties, had their friends not turned it into a harmless source of ribbing whenever possible. That was the way of the fellowship, of true friends: to diffuse conflict, embarrassment, and hardship with humor, wit, and a grain of understanding.  
  
It had been the happiest day of Dominic’s life. And every day thereafter had been better than the one before, sappy though it sounds, and Dom was quite certain life couldn’t get much better. But Billy, Billy was missing something. Dom saw it. Clear in his eyes, a soft loneliness that would shimmer, most noticeably when Sean would bring the kids over, or when Viggo talked about the now grown Henry.

Billy wanted fatherhood.

It was simple as that, and Dom would never be the one to deny him. The funny thing was, Dom never knew he was missing something in his life until he saw that want in Bill's eyes. Then, the world was seen in a new found clarity, and Dom was in awe of the view of the world through his new eyes. He noticed the soft laughter of little girls as they played hand ball on the playground, or the naughty giggle of boys at play. He was drawn to babies, (in truth he always had loved them) and would shyly approach new parents and ask about their baby. So it really wasn't much of a surprise to Dom that the two found themselves curled around one another one sweaty, sated night, discussing the new longing in their hearts. In the cool dark Billy had rumbled his most secret wish, and Dom happily collected it, and with a soft kiss vowed to make it come true.

*

Dom blinked against the sting in the back of his eyes, and looked up as he heard the tell-tale click of nails against the floor. That would mean Miss Daisy was up, and if she was up, then Billy was up, because the dog _never_ parted with Billy unless he was in the bath or shagging. Not that Billy minded of course.

True to form, Billy padded in, looking all kinds of sleepy, and just painfully shaggable in Dom's mind. His hair stood in at least 8 different directions, and his shorts hung low on his hips, revealing boyish hipbones and a stray freckle. When he looked up at Dom with a yawn and a pat on the head to Daisy, Dom had to tighten his grip on the mug to restrain himself. Billy's eyes glittered against the stark white of his undershirt.

_Feed him first, shag later,_ Dom admonished, and offered him his daily porridge.

"You sleep ok?" Billy mumbled around the lip of his mug, and flicked open the paper with his other hand. His eyes still danced with mischief at his mock-innocent query.

Dom briefly recalled the image of exactly how and why he might have needed to sleep, and he blinked slowly as the memory of Billy’s throaty wail made his man parts tingle pleasantly.

"No," he remarked, feigning irritation, as he placed a heaping plate full of bacon on the table. He knew Billy would slip at least half his share to the dog, and to counter act this, Dom had taken to giving him double servings.

_Feels like I cook for the damn dog,_ he groused, and true to form, Daisy gave herself away with the telltale whimper of excitement and the slobbery scarf as she inhaled a piece of bacon.

"Don't," Dom fussed, his back to the table, as he cut up some oranges to offer. Fruit was one of the few things Daisy did not like, so Dom made sure much of their diet evolved around it.

"Aww, Dom, it's only a little piece of…" His voice trailed off, and he inhaled sharply, and the sound of the mug hitting the table and the startled yelp of Daisy made Dom swivel around. His eyes briefly flittered down to her to see what had hurt her, but she was off in a flash. When he looked up at Billy for an angry explanation, all the color drained out of his face. Billy looked truly stricken, in the purest sense of the word, and when Dom took a step towards him, Bill held up a hand as if to say "stay here," and then ran off in shock, out the kitchen and towards the front of his house.

Dom stood there, startled and confused, and the sound of dripping attracted his attention back to the table. It would seem that Billy had dropped his mug in shock, spilling the hot tea on the table and onto poor Daisy, and she probably had burned her nose in the process.  
_What could have bothered him that much?_ Dom pondered, and snatched up the newspaper Bill was reading. Soggy with tea, but still blaring on the inside page of the entertainment section, was his life, being hurled into spotlight.

_"RINGS' ACTORS "AUDITIONING" SURROGATE"_

He brought his hand, (now shaking) to his mouth, just as Billy stomped back into the kitchen, face red, their newly arrived publicist trailing behind him.  
  
"We have a little problem, Dommie," Billy growled, and then, with a clammy hand, pulled Dom towards the small room that housed their security monitors. To Dom's shock, and deep detached amusement, he saw a line, wrapped clean around the block, of women.

"What, what are there here for?" Dom whispered.

"They want to have our baby." Billy breathed his voice a mixture of fear and irritation.

Dom blinked slowly, as if he was drunk, and then with a lazy smile and a shaky voice asked, "So when do interviews begin?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Dominic, we can't go picking the mother of our children from a line of women wrapped around the corner, that’s nutters!"  
  
Dom blinked at Billy slowly. "Why not? It's not as if we won't be approached by women anyway. This way, there won't be games."  
  
"We'll have every loon on this side of the Atlantic banging on the door!"  
  
Billy rubbed his mouth, and sighed irritably. Sometimes Dominic could be so damned impulsive and disregard common sense. He smiled inwardly as Dom peeped at the security monitor and quirked his lips. The again, his innocent abandon and disregard for propriety had been part of the reason he fell for Dom.  
  
Bill's mind wandered, thinking back to the day he married Dom, remembering the nerves and anxiety he had been full of. Was he making the right decision? Who knew? A friend had told him that the true definition of the person you should spend the rest of your life with, wasn't the person you could see yourself being with until you die, but rather, the person you couldn't spend the rest of your life _without_. Dom fit that description to a tee.  
  
The day of the wedding, Bill's conviction was solidified by the support of his sister, Margaret. Seeing her before the ceremony was bittersweet to him, as she kissed his brow, and told him she loved him and supported him through and through. Bill remembers he bit back a sharp comment about her husband, who had stayed behind because he had his reservations about supporting the union. But when Margaret looked down shyly, and produced a spring of heather to pin to his jacket, he lost all sense of anger, his mouth thin and taunt with a storm of emotions.  
  
"For them, for luck, for love, William," She had whispered, and kissed him again, and he was left to stare at the cliffs on the horizon, eyes full of unshed tears for days long gone by.  
  
Elijah's soft footsteps had pulled him from his memories, his eyes wide and clear with hope and sympathy. A quiet melancholy had settled over him, but as Elijah guided him to the end of the aisle, he found his best friend, lover and partner in all things, waiting for him, haloed in the dying sun. Hope, love and pain blended together as he took Dom's hand, sure for the first time that he was making the best decision of his life.  
  
Dom tore his eyes from the throngs of women waving banners, holding up small baby gifts and speaking to the press that had set up camp at their doorstep. The sound of his sigh pulled Bill from memories of a sunset kiss, and he vowed silently to remind Dominic just how happy he is to be with him.  
  
"They love us, Bill. These are people that support us, no matter what. One of them is bound to be the right woman, I can feel it. We have to allow for fate to run its course. We have to give them a chance."  
  
Their lawyer chose that moment to speak up.  
  
"They have agencies if you'd rather go that route. Perhaps we can refer these women to an organization, and let them help narrow down the selection before you conduct interviews."  
  
Bill chewed his lip. That would be a logical compromise and still allow fans to have their chance. He sighed, suddenly wishing for the privacy, anonymity they'd had just two days before, and nodded.  
  
"How soon can you begin interviews?"  
  


*

  
Billy always knew there were crazy people in the world, but he truly had no idea until he began interviewing the masses in search of a surrogate mother. They had no set time frame for which they would hold interviews, but rather Bill had foolishly agreed to Dom’s insistence that when the time was right, they would find the woman meant to bear their kids, and all would be right with the world.

William Boyd had never been that optimistic, and he was known as the “happy” hobbit.

He had seen a middle aged woman shuffle into the interview room, eyes shining, and with a throaty chuckle, assure them that she’d be honored to have their babies - provided her aging ovum were any good.

He had seen effervescent 18 year olds, who swore they had put a great deal of thought into the matter, and were ready to have their babies. When Dom asked, on a hunch, if the women found he and Billy attractive, their crimson blush said enough.

“Dom, I don’t want the mother of our children to have done the deed because she was hot for our pants.”

Three months went by, each woman just not making a great impression on the pair, and Billy began to lose hope. After a flurry of devil worshippers, BSDM mistresses, a few deranged red heads, and a pack of slash writers who frequented something called “lj”, the two soon felt they should resign themselves to looking into adoption. On what they had secretly agreed was going to be the last day of interviews, they found their woman.

She came in through the outdoor.

Billy distinctly remembers stifling a giggle at the cliché, and then grinning as Dom began to hum Prince, and then they sobered up once she smiled politely and introduced herself.

“Hello, my name is Eva.”

Billy unfolded his legs, and stood with Dom to shake the woman’s hand amiably. Once the formalities were out the door, Bill began firing questions. She aced every one.

“You obviously have no qualms about supporting a gay marriage, and in turn, the concept of a gay couple raising a child.”

“That is correct.”

“Why is that? What influenced you to come to a decision many have had a problem with?”

Dom shifted uncomfortably, and Bill knew he was remembering a particularly hateful package that had been sent to them, informing them that their children would be sick and perverse, and would go to hell. Bill had been so outraged, he snatched the basket up, and threw it will all his might into a wall, smiling grimly at the shards of wicker that crumpled to the ground.

Eva’s soft exhale drew them back to the conversation.

“My parents were gay. Two men.”

Dom leaned forward, a shy smile on his face. “Yea? How was it? I-I mean, did they do ok? You look ok, so I mean I guess-“

Bill placed his hand over Dom’s and smiled.

“I won’t tell you my childhood didn’t have…snags, but they loved me as well as any man and woman could have, I am sure of this. Puberty was a challenge though.”

Bill chuckled, imaging Dom setting his daughter down to explain to her how to use a tampon. “I can imagine.”

“But you know, they loved me. They were one hundred percent sure they wanted me, and after the hell they had to go through to have me, I felt I could offer this gift back to two deserving people.”

“That’s very noble of you.” Dom breathed quietly.

“It is.” She remarked, a cheeky grin on her face. “But then, being a huge fan of Lord of the Rings didn’t hurt either.”

All three adults laughed, and she turned to face the door that announced the arrival of their lawyer.

“Sorry guys, but time’s up.”

Bill and Dom looked at each other, then at Eva, their faces revealing a mutual interest to talk more.

“Oh, ok then.” Bill rose to his feet again, and shook her hand. Dom followed suit.

“It was a pleasure to meet you Eva.” Dom pat her on the back fondly, and guided her to the door.

“Same here.”

As soon as she left, their lawyer, Susan, turned to the couple and raised her thin eyebrows.

“Well?”

“We’ve found her,” they replied in unison.

Still, Bill was not about to pick up Dom’s impulsive hat. Thus, that night they sat up reading the file Susan had assembled, that covered Eva’s entire life’s history, from her credit report to her high school transcripts. They found that she was happily married, living in a modest home in Burbank, and the mother of two children, one boy and a girl. She managed a bakery in Encino, and her husband was a pharmacist. All in all, nothing in particular stood out.

Except for the blaring absence of a mother.

“I wonder where she is, Dom? Eva’s mother.” Bill asked, around a yawn, as they settled in for the evening. As usual, Daisy was firmly planted between the couple, her damp nose settled into the crack of Bill’s bare armpit.

“Dunno? You think she’d feel uncomfortable if we asked her?”

“Um, I’m not sure. Maybe we should let it rest. Where ever she is, she hasn’t had any apparent contact for over 28 years. It says here on her mention of her wedding, that her mum wasn’t there. What kind of mother misses their daughters wedding day?”

He turned to face Dom for a reply, and found the man was asleep, lips parted slightly.

“G’night,Dommie,” h e whispered, and smoothed the hair back from his face.

**  
Six months, several legal proceedings, and medical profiles later, Eva had begun in vitro trials. To say that the process of donating sperm was humiliating would have been an understatement. Bill found the entire affair to be so sterile that he could hardly bring himself to a proper state to do anything. Of course, Dom had no problem. He always strutted from the room, glowing, with a smug grin on his lips. And while Billy was glad Dom had no problems, part of him wondered as the ease in which he could wank.

“Wanking is my specialty Billy-boy,” Dom remarked with a wink.

Bill had trudged along, trying his best to meet their quotas, but ultimately, it was after a bit of intervention from Dom that Bill had been able to properly perform. The man had snuck up on Bill, while Bill was staring at a dirty magazine with half interest, and with long fingers, and began to fumble with Bill’s buckle.

“Dom, wha-what are you doing, lad?”

“Offering a bit of assistance,” Dom purred, as he pulled Bill up from the chair by the belt loops.

Before Bill could protest, Dom had him pressed against the icy glass of the office window, pants down at his ankles. In a flash Dom was on his knees, a naughty gleam in his eyes, as he licked flushed lips, and proceeded to take Bill into his mouth. As Dom’s tongue lapped the underside of Bill’s now erect cock, Bill’s hands fluttered to Dom’s hair, and settled there. The raw sensation of a warm mouth, combined with the muffled noises from the street and the faint possibility that someone could see them, was a heady mixture for Bill, and every nerve in his body was taunt like a violin. Dom was quite adept at giving Bill a blow job, found it to be another Olympic Sport really, so it didn’t take the Brit long to have Bill on the edge, keening from the devilish swirl of his long tongue, and the head of his cock. When Dom’s fingers began to work the base of his shaft, and then pause to fondle Bill’s balls, he was undone, and with a stuttered warning, spent himself into the specimen cup Dom had conveniently carried in his pocket.

“That’ll do lad, that’ll do,” Dom murmured against the pale skin of Bill’s belly, mocking Bill’s accent, as Bill struggled to regain his breath.

“Cheeky slapper,” Bill breathed, as he wiped his brow.

“I am, and you love me for it.”

“Aye, I do Dom,” he smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Dom loved Sunday mornings, they were his favorite day. Sunday mornings meant no filming, which in turn meant great shagging Saturday night, when Bill would stagger in, eyes afire, snatching off his jacket, and smelling like night air and coffee. Sunday mornings meant Dom would usually get to see the first blush of sunlight taint their pale bedroom curtains, as Bill would mumble incoherently against the nape of Dom’s neck, while their bodies cooled and their limbs settled into a pleasant ache. Dom loved the sparkle of sweat across Bill’s brow on Sunday mornings. He loved the tangle of sheets at his feet, as the pair sprawled out on the bed, and the gentle snore that rumbled from Billy’s throat. But mostly, Dom loved Sunday mornings because on most Sunday mornings, Billy woke up naked.

It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Dom could stare for hours, (and often did) fingertips grazing pale wiry hairs, lips ghosting across firm muscle, and simply loving a completely relaxed Billy Boyd. By the time Dom would doze off, he would be all but giddy, like a child who has peeped at a Christmas present early, and Bill would often question the younger man about his smug state, when the pair was up and enjoying elveneses hours later.

Dom never told.

However, on _this_ particular Sunday morning, Dom wore a smug grin for reasons far more complex than the knee jerk reaction that he had whenever he saw a naked Billy. Today, Dom was grinning because he had a relaxed naked Billy, and a new friend to introduce the man to.

“Ok Gadget, now just…take it easy…”

Dom wondered at how Billy didn’t stir at the soft tickle that was sure to radiate around his navel, as he guided Miss Gadget down, and allowed her to explore the flat plane of the man’s stomach. She looked up at Dom, with positively adorable eyes, and, as if she understood him began to wander about Bill’s tummy. Gizmo, (number 23 in the dynasty, called G23) chose that moment to become exceptionally brave, and wandered down from her usual spot on Bill’s warm shoulder, towards his chest. True to form, Daisy snuffled worriedly at the tiny speck of yellow that was creeping along her master’s body, but Bill didn’t even flinch.

She was used to Gizmo’s Sunday morning antics.

In a move that convinced Dom that she was a tarantula after his own heart, Gadget veered south of the navel, hairy legs inching towards Bill’s flaccid cock, and Dom snorted. He knew that if the spider took a few more steps, the tickling sensation would indeed enliven Bill’s penis, and oh, the look that would be on his face when he woke up and discovered he was half-erect thanks to a tarantula.

He almost wished he remembered to bring his digi-cam.

Things were beginning to progress quite nicely, with Gadget mapping Bill’s body, getting to know her other owner, Gizmo getting her morning exercise on Bill’s chest, while Daisy looked on worriedly, and Dom shot her warning looks that promised no bacon if she whined and woke up Billy. And then, as is Murphy’s Law, all hell broke loose.

Billy Boyd woke up to the sight of a well fed tarantula a mere inch away from his cock.

Now, Dom has the foresight to hold the man down with a firm hand, lest Bill should squirm and scare poor Gadget. She might bite in retaliation, and he wasn’t up for explaining that injury to the ER. Nor was he up for the sulking, (and celibacy) that would follow, given her current trajectory and Bill’s protectiveness over his manhood.

“Bill, it’s ok-“

“Dom, I’m going to murder you, lad.”

Dom bit back a giggle, and shushed him with a soothing voice.

“Just take it easy. She won’t bite unless you make sudden movements. Try to relax.”

Bill stared at him, as if he had lost all his wits, and gritted his teeth. His hands were flat on the bed beside him, and his fists balled and relaxed en sync with his shallow breathing.

“How can ya expect me to relax when there is a monster ogling my cock?!”

Dom was just about to go into a remark about kilts and a certain E! reporter, when Gadget turned, no doubt startled by Bill’s sharp voice, and went into full predator mode.

She saw Gizmo.

 

Before Dom could wonder aloud at the last time she had eaten, or even rush to collect more Gizmo up, chaos erupted, as Gadget scrambled up Bill. Billy screamed like a girl, Gizmo retreated to the top of Bill’s head, and when Gadget tried to follow, Daisy got in her face, and barked. As Daisy yelped, and ran off with a bit nose, Bill wailed and sat up, effectively tossing the pissed off arachnid down onto the bed, and the quiet mood that had filled the room not moments before crumpled under the roar of the couple shouting at one another.

“Damn it, Dom! Suppose I had been allergic to that fucking beast!”

“I knew what I was doing. If the fucking dog hadn’t startled her, then she wouldn’t have been frightened, and I could have just put her away, and Gizmo would be safe. Now, I don’t even know where the hell she is!”

“She probably had a heart attack, being stalked by that vicious animal!”

“Gadget is not vicious! She’s just misunderstood!”

“You call it what ya like Dommie, I call it banned!”

Dom plucked up the spider which was balled up on the floor unwilling to move, no doubt for fear of the bare feet that were stomping about her.

“I can’t believe you sometimes, Bill,” Dom breathed, as he murmured something soft to the frightened spider, and left the bedroom.

He padded down the tile hallway, and out, over the soft grass, until he came to the all too familiar shed of naughty Dom pets, as was named by Billy. The first inhabitant had been a scorpion Dom had acquired, which earned his banishment one summer afternoon, when Dom took him out for some fresh air. He placed the scorpion on a plush lounge chair near the water while he went to collect something to drink. By the time he returned, he found a red-faced Bill, gingerly squeezing one arse cheek. Further observation revealed his dear scorpion was still quite attached to said arse, and after a brief trip to hospital, and a stream of thick curses, the scorpion was banished from the house and into the half-used storage shed.

Now, the shed was full of all kinds of insects Dom had “saved” from Bill’s temper. He had had it insulated, and fitted with a climate control system, and while Bill had balked at the cost of this endeavor, he balked even more at the prospect of sharing his house with the “naughty bugs.”

By the time Dom had settled dear Gadget into her own tank, and returned to the house, he found Bill in the kitchen, frantically stirring eggs in a mixing bowl, while the Eagles tinkered into the kitchen from the radio.

He would have apologized for yelling earlier, but it is decidedly difficult to think clearly when your husband is making scrambled eggs in an apron that says, “Kiss me, I’m Scottish” and nothing else.

He opted to crumple onto the chair sadly, and sigh. Daisy sighed as well.

“I didn’t mean to snap at you, Dom.” He was terse, and sloshed the egg mixture into a pan, and then turned the fire low.

“You make me feel like I’m a bloody toddler, Bill. Like I can’t do shit right without your supervision. I’m not a child.”

“I know.”

Dom peered over the tops of his arms, and blinked rapidly. He was struck at just how _old_ Bill looked this morning, and the thought depressed him even more.

“The thing of it is, Bill…”

Billy leaned against the counter, and nodded.

“We’re going to have a baby. I mean, a kid of our own to take care of, yeah? I-I don’t know if I will be a good enough father, Bill. You’re so responsible all the time. I mean, you joke and laugh, but then you get down to business, and things happen.”

He chewed on his cuticle, a nervous habit he’d picked up from Elijah. “I just don’t know if I’m responsible enough for a kid. I know my timing’s not the best, given the effort we’ve put into this, but, I don’t want to fail, Bills. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

Bill stared a few moments, spatula tapping absentmindedly on the counter, before he opened his mouth a few times, then closed it.

“That’s just rubbish, Dominic.”

Dom balked, blinking a few times, and stood up.

“If you’re not going to really listen then I’ll just go. I have to clean out the bird cages-“

“That’s just it. Who runs this house?”

Dom looked at Bill, then at Daisy, then Bill again.

“The dog.”

Bill waved his utensil irritably.

“No, no, I’m serious. When there is a party, who goes over the details no less than four million times?”

“You.”

“Fine. Who creates the details?”

“Well, I do, but that’s only because-“

“And who does the grocery shopping?”

“I do, but-“

“Who called the lawyer to confirm the background checks on Eva had been done before we progressed with further interviews?”

“I did-“

“Who makes sure all the animals are fed and tended to every day?”

“I do but-“

“When Elijah sends cookies, who automatically tosses them?”

Dom erupted into a fit of giggles.

“Get your mind out of the gutter, ya daft wanker.”

“Bill, the only reason I do those things is because I’m home more. If our roles were reversed, you’d be the one doing them, though frankly the thought of you cleaning out the spider tanks worries me.”

“You’re right. I would be the one picking up little duties at home if I was home more. But the point is, Dom, that we are equally responsible, in our own ways. I don’t know any more about what it is to be a good parent than you do. My age, wisdom, or experience, can only take me so far. Nothing can completely prepare you for the responsibility that comes with being a parent, and any class, book, or friend that tells you otherwise is backwards.”

He stepped close to Dom, right in the folds of his personal space. “I might be older, and wiser, and that might help me in some ways, but all we can do, Dom, is gather what knowledge we can, and do the best that we can. That’s all any parent can do. You know that.” He kissed Dom on the lips, whisper soft.

“You’re going to be a great father because you’re energetic, strong, and full of ideas on how to keep a child entertained. They’ll love you because you’ll love them unconditionally. You’ll see past any flaw and forgive any misstep, just like you’ve forgiven those naughty buggers shacked up in the back yard. That’s what being a good da is all about, Dom. S’what being a good _parent_ is about.”

Dom nodded against Bill’s cheek, and sighed.

“M’sorry, Bill. I didn’t mean for things to unravel earlier. I just wanted her to get to know you. I didn’t take into consideration that she’d see Gizzy as a food item.”

“Speaking of which, did you find her?”

“Yea, she was on top of the alarm clock, smart girl. She walked right up to me, after everyone left.”

“Mmm,” Bill hummed absentmindedly, his lips more interested in lavishing Dom’s clavicle with attention. Not that Dom was complaining or anything.

“Is this the part where we engage in make up shagging in the kitchen, Bill?” He leaned his head back indulgently; Bill followed his lead, and sunk his teeth into the side of his neck gently.

“Maybe.”

Warm hands snaked into the top of Dom’s waistband, kneading the warm flesh, before a particularly naughty hand abandoned all pretenses, and wrapped around Dom’s now alert cock.

Dom spoke between the kisses that had erupted between the pair.

“Bill, you’re burn the eggs if you keep this up.”

Billy backed Dom against the counter, a sharp toothed grin on his face. “Bugger the breakkie.” He snatched down Dom’s pants in a fluid motion, and as he hefted Dom up against the counter, one hand began a dangerous slide up and down his cock.

“Bugger me,” Dom choked, as his hands scrambled to turn off the stove, before wrapping around Bill’s neck to pull him closer for a wet kiss.

“I seem to recall you getting me in a similar position, years ago, Dom,” Bill grinned, as he produced a pack of lube conveniently planted in his apron pocket.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you planned this, William,” he hissed as two fingers insistently slid into him, impatient and hurried.

“Scouts are always prepared, Dommie,” he purred, smiling hungrily at the sight of Dom, his eyes rolled back, and lips parted.

Dom found his wits long enough to deliver one last snark. “And what kind of scout were you as a lad?”

“Girl scout,” Bill grunted, before he drove into Dom in one smooth motion, effectively wiping any coherent thoughts from either of their minds, for a few moments at least. As Bill settled into a familiar and well loved rhythm, Dom’s mind wandered briefly, and he wondered if he should be amused or offended by Bill’s last comment. His face must have revealed this consideration, because Bill pulled Dom’s hand up, and kissed his palm tenderly, his face open and vulnerable.

“Only you, Dommie. Always,” he whispered low in the man’s ear, before the tell-tale catch in his breathing revealed his impending orgasm, though not before he’d brought Dom over the edge.

As the two collected their breath, Dom stared down at the lumpy mixture that was slowing evolving into a new life form in the pan, and made a note to himself to choose Fruit Loops when he regained feeling in his lower extremities.

Just as he was sliding down off the counter, and rubbing his ass, the phone rang, and Bill answered, clearing his throat in an attempt to hide the “I just got shagged” tone he was sure to have otherwise. But as the person he spoke with continued past “Hello.” Billy’s face sank, and the stone that settled at the pit of Dom’s stomach was answer enough.

Something was wrong with the in vitro.

He swallowed hard, and walked over to Scot, who was holding the phone so hard, his knuckles were white.

“Bills?”


	4. Chapter 4

Billy hated going to the fertility specialist, and today was no exception. If anything, today was far worse, because today, they’d not been called in to be told the in vitro had been successful, but rather, because there was a problem.

To make matters worse, the problem seemed to be with Billy.

He shifted uncomfortably, and looked over the hand that was resting against his lips.

“So, what-what are we to do about this?” Dom peered at Bill nervously, his face an open window to his emotional forecast. Bill saw thinly veiled disappointment, and his self –hatred jumped a notch. For a moment, he indulged in the wild desire that one of them was a woman, and therefore this entire undertaking would be that much easier. But then, he was struck with the realization of just how unattractive Dom would be as a woman. He mentally shook himself.

“There are a few options that still remain, Dom. We can continue a while longer with the fertilization attempts, and hold out on hope that Billy’s sperm will do the trick, but usually, after so many attempts, we’re inclined to open up our options.”

“What other options are there?” Eva spoke up for the first time since she, her husband, Dom and Billy had arrived.

The doctor exhaled uncomfortably. “We could only implant Dom’s fertilized embryo next time.”

Dom opened his mouth to object, but the doctor cut him off. “I know this is not what you had hoped for, but to be honest, even when we implanted both sets of fertilized ovum, there was no guarantee that the two of you would have each had a baby come to term.”

Billy nodded, and squeezed Dom’s hand reassuringly, though he broke inside.

“There is another option to fertilize the egg, but the cost of this procedure is much higher, and to be honest, there is still no guarantee of viability.”

“There is no medical reason my…sperm aren’t fertilizing the eggs? I-I mean we’ve had success before…” His voice trailed off.

They’d had success one time actually, and two painful failures. The wait from implantation to pregnancy test was maddening, and the disappointment hung between the two families darkly. With each time, Dom and Billy was torn between their own grief, and the horrible sense of responsibility they felt seeing Eva enduring the hormonal and emotional swing while trying to put up a brave face. After the last failed attempt, she crumpled, and begged to two men for this to be her last time enduring the in vitro. Neither man had the heart to deny her that consideration. Still, as a precaution, they had asked that ovum were fertilized should the pair want to try again. But now, if Eva agreed to it, and if only Dom’s embryos were implanted, a gaping hole would be left, and Bill couldn’t help but wish she would be willing to go back and try again should this last attempt fail after a baby was born.

“It’s not just a matter of success with fertilization, there is also the issue of viability. There is no medical reason that we can decipher as to why your sperm aren’t fertilizing the eggs. However, it raises a valid concern for this last attempt, because we worry about the resilience of the embryos.”

“If this attempt is successful, and the baby turns out to be mine biologically, could we, if all parties involved were willing, go back, and try again, with just Bill’s eggs?”

Eva shifted uncomfortably.

“If all parties were in agreement, then of course.”

“I’d have to think about it, to be honest, Dom.”

He nodded, and reached over to take her hand.

“That’s all we can ever ask, love.”

*

They continued on for an hour more, reviewing the stark odds, and leaving Eva and her husband to decide amongst themselves if they were up for yet another fertilization attempt should the last one not take. Hours later, Dom was on the phone with his mother, who was quite inconsolable.

“I know mum…he said Bill’s boys can’t seem to fertilize the eggs, and if this last attempt doesn’t work, we’ll have to try again with only my embryo.”

Bill plucked up the tea Dom passed him, and crumpled into his favorite chair.

“…She doesn’t know if she wants to go again, mum. That’s the problem. He’s…he’ll be ok…it’s just a disappointment that’s all…we will mum. Tell Dad I-yea…ok…cheers.”

As soon as Dom rung off, he was at Bill’s side, rubbing his back comfortingly.

“I’ve mucked this all up, Dom. I should have known something would go wrong, why wouldn’t it? I’ve had shite luck since I was a lad-“

“Don’t go down that road, Bill. We’ll work this out, and even if we only get my child-‘

“Dom, the baby will be ours, no matter who fathered it. That’s not my problem, I guess I…“

“Wanted to see just what your smile would look like on a russet haired little girl?” Dom whispered softly, and Bill smiled sadly.

“I was rather hoping for my eyes on a sandy haired she-imp, but we’re on the same page.”

“We found Eva, and that was a one in a million, let’s pray our luck holds out a bit more. Sometimes life surprises you.”

“This is true, I mean, I found you, didn’t I?” Bill kissed Dom’s head. “I’m being a selfish git, that’s all. I’ll get over it, but for now I just can’t shake this disappointment. And I can’t help but feel like it was my fault we’ve had three failed attempts. You heard what the doctor said, my eggs-“

“Shh, enough for one night, yea? We’ve still got a week before Eva’s ultrasound, and her subsequent decision if the last attempt has failed.”

Bill nodded; chewing his lips thoughtfully, his head full of what ifs and stark disappointment.

*

The week breezed by faster than either man cared to admit, though a silent tension filled their house. They hardly talked, and when they did, it would inevitably crumble and they’d be staring at one another, fear in their throats, wondering if it was Friday yet. Bill found himself looking at the life he was graced with as he knew it, and spent a long time thinking about where he would be without fathering a child of his own biologically. Dom in turn withdrew, and Billy knew Dom was at a loss as to how to comfort him, or what to say to make amends for the unfairness of life. By mid-week Bill was hardly sleeping, rarely eating, and was horribly short tempered. When Daisy drooled on him during their afternoon nap in the library, he snapped at her, and sent her sulking into the shed with Dom - a rare event. Dom was so surprised and hurt he didn’t even bother to address him.

It was not like Billy to take his frustrations out on the innocent.

In the end, it was Gandalf who calmly and forcibly talked some sense into him.  
He boxed his ears and huffed at his “petulant selfishness”, and then reminded Bill of the important things in life.

“You’re blue because you won’t have a little Boyd of your own scampering around. Well, too bad, William. You have a husband who loves you, who’s worrying himself sick with guilt and would trade places in a blink of an eye. You have a career that is booming, you have nieces and nephews from _both_ sides of the family, and a host of friends who love you despite the fact that you are being silly. You’re hurting Dominic’s feelings, and you’re forgetting the important things in your life. You _will_ have a little Boyd of your own running about, no matter who provided the spark of life. You can’t lose sight of that, Bill. Life keeps no promises, and no one said you were ever meant to father a child in the first place. Suppose the eggs had been fertilized, who’s to say your child would have successfully be carried to term? More importantly, do you want the paternity of the child to rest so heavily on your and Dom’s shoulders? Because if so, you’d better re-consider being a father just yet.”

Bill nodded, properly admonished, and bit his nail. Of course Ian was one hundred percent right, damn him, and to hear that which Dom was too hurt to say himself spoke aloud, made Bill feel like a serious wanker.

But then, sometimes men need a good telling off, to set their heads on straight.

As fate would have it, Bill never got a chance to tell Dom how sorry he was for being so sour all week, because Friday stumbled upon them, and Eva had an 8 am appointment for the ultrasound that would determine if the blood pregnancy tests were truly accurate and last implantation had not failed.

To say both men were nervous was an understatement.

Dom nearly cut off a piece of his face shaving that morning, Bill had chewed two-thirds of his thumb off, and even Daisy was too wound up to steal bacon properly. As they arrived at the office, wind-swept and on edge, the technician calmly led them into the exam room, where Eva was already in a robe, her soft stomach exposed.

“I’m just going to put this gel on, and it will be a bit cold,” she emptied a generous pile of the clear gel onto her belly, and Eva winced slightly.

“Now I’m going to take a look around, and if the blood tests are any indicator, then we should see a baby in here…” Her voice trailed off, and she placed the probe down, searching for the tell-tale fluid filled sac that would be the first view of their baby. To Bill it looked like nothing but a tan blur of tissue, and sounded like a rush of water squishing around, but as she progressed on and down, his breath caught in his throat.

“Ah, there we are, there’s a baby! From the looks of things, I’d say you were about…5 weeks now…”

Dom made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, and Eva let out a sigh of relief. Still, the technician looked more.

“And here’s another…see there, on the left side…that’s two so far…”

“Twins? Fraternal twins?” Billy breathed, and a slight laugh escaped his throat.

“Hmmm, I don’t see anymore though.” She proceeded to capture images of the two sacs, to display their size and shape. “How many were implanted?”

“Four,” Eva supplied, as she peered at the screen.

“Not bad…Did you have some bleeding?”

“Mild spotting about two weeks ago, yes. That is why we were so worried.” Eva sighed, and grinned.

The technician printed off the captures of the babies, and then wiped Eva’s stomach.

“I’m glad it worked out in the end. Congrats you guys, now if you’ll speak with the receptionist, you’ll need to schedule a follow up…”

She babbled on for a few more minutes, Bill knew this, but he wasn’t really paying attention. His gaze was locked on the two small sacs of life, still frozen on the monitor.

When they left, he clutched the picture, a small smile on his face, his thumb caressing the image softly. He didn’t speak much for the rest of the day, and when Dom couldn’t take it anymore, he pulled Bill aside, and demanded an answer out of the man.

“Look, Bills, I know you’re disappointed because there’s a good chance the baby won’t be yours but-“

“Did you hear that lady, Dommie?”

Dom worried his eyebrows. “What lady?”

“That lady in there, she told us we’re having a baby. Babies even!”

Dom laughed softly. “Of course she did, you nutter. What are you on about?”

“Babies, Dommie. You and I, we’re going to be fathers.”

Dom looked at him, and laughed, deep in his chest.

“C’mere, Bill.”

Bill obliged, stepped over into Dom’s embrace.

“You’re ok? You’re happy, Bill?”

“I couldn’t be happier if I tried, Dominic.”

He couldn’t have been more honest with himself or Dom.


	5. Chapter 5

“Elijah, I will only say this one more time. I don’t care what the bloody magazine says. I don’t want a shower.”

Billy shifted in his chair, and slipped Daisy a slice of bacon.

“But Bill, it’s a tradition! You’ve got to have a shower! People will want to get you things!”

Elijah’s eyes widened to “high beams” as Dom called them, and he shoved a thumb in his mouth, biting.

“What are we discussing?” Dom scuffed over to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water.

“Showers,” Billy supplied with disdain.

“Showers are for poofs.” Dom grinned, and took an experimental sniff of his armpit for good measure.

“Fancy you saying that,” Elijah mumbled.

“Not that kind of shower you git, Elijah here wants to hold a baby shower for us.”

Dom frowned, and sat his drink on the counter.

“Baby shower? You mean that party women have with the pins?”

“And measuring tape!” Bill added.

“Measuring tape, eh?” Dom waggled his eyebrows.

“It’ll be fun! There’ll be games!”

Dom turned to Bill, and then faced Elijah with a blank stare on his face.

“No.” Both men spoke in unison.

“Oh come _on_ you guys! People keep asking me how to help you guys celebrate the eminent arrival of the babies, and this is a perfect way to do so!”

Though the concept of free gifts was tempting, the idea of a pack of women salivating over stuffed animals and diaper rash cream held little interest for Dom.

“Sorry Elijah-“

The phone rang, and Dom reached for it, as he was closer. As he did so, Billy came under a new assault from Elijah, who demanded that they go to a baby store and “register,” though the purpose of such an endeavor was still lost on Billy.

Dom smiled and tore his attention back to the phone call.

“Hello?”

“Dom?”

“James?”

“That’s me!”

“James! Amazing, how the hell are you mate?”

“I can’t believe I got through to you! I’m so chuffed! I’m brilliant actually. I’m in town for a weekend and wondered if you and Bill are free to go out tomorrow night.”

Dom turned to face Bill, who had seemingly settled things with Elijah.

“Who is it?” Bill remarked softly.

“James.” Dom frowned at the darkened expression that fell on Bill’s face. Billy never seemed over fond of James, though Dom could never figure out why. Still, he had never been rude.

“He’s coming to visit?”

“He’s in town actually. He wanted to know if we could meet him tomorrow night.”

Billy shrugged.

“Sounds fair to me.”

Dom stared at Billy for a moment longer than necessary, his expression silently asking questions. Billy opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

“I’ll get it.”

As Dom turned back to collect numbers and arrange meeting places, Billy rose from the chair to answer the door bell.

Billy padded down the hall, thumb shoved in his mouth, as he ran the planned visit with James over his mind. He wasn’t so sure a meeting would be a good idea, but then, he knew Dom well enough to know the danger in voicing that feeling.

He would be called a “stupid jealous tosser” in at least two languages.

“Maybe I am,” he mumbled, as he opened the door. He gasped in shock, grinning, as he let the surprise guests come in.

Back in the kitchen, Elijah and Dom tore into a fresh bag of crisps, soft conversation flowing between them.

“Who’s coming over?” Elijah asked.

Dom hung up the phone. “We’re not expecting anyone, and I don’t think James could travel that fast…”

Before either man could develop a proper theory, their questions were answered as a body attached to a head of blonde hair nearly tackled Dom’s. As Dom looked down in surprise, a huge grin spread across his face.

“Mum?”

“Dominic!” she cried. She began planting a half dozen kisses all over his face and chin.

“Mum! We’ve missed you!” He hugged her close, and inhaled, closing his eyes against the gentle and comforting smell of her. He wondered if his children would do the same.

As she pulled away from Dom and moved on to attack poor Elijah, Dom embraced his dad and kissed him fondly.

“Missed you too dad.”

“Sorry about coming early, but you’re mother was in a fit, and could hardly sleep.”

Dom shrugged and smiled. “We have plenty of room.”

“That’s good because your brother packed enough shite to fill a museum,” his mum called over from where she was standing by the table as she shrugged off her coat and began to survey the kitchen.

“You do intend to put safety latches on these cabinets don’t you?”

“Ah we have a guy coming on the…“ Billy could only get this much out before she interrupted him.

“And you will need outlet covers…”

“Picking them up-“

“Do you have formula purchased yet? You should, you will go through many cans-“

“Mum.” Bill set his jaw. “It’s stored in the-“

Dom’s mum whirled out of the kitchen as she babbled on. Her husband on the other hand, headed for his favorite chair by the pool. She was as hyper as Dom, and just as fond of animals. Bill chuckled at the frightened look on Dom’s father’s face as she offered him an iguana. The ruffles on the sleeve of her shirt hung over the face of Willy and he appeared to be wearing a veil. Moments later, Dom’s brother joined in on the festivities, children and wife accompanying him, and their usually-quiet backyard was bursting with spontaneous activity.

“Luckily your family’s not due for two more weeks, Bill.” Dom leaned his chin on Billy’s shoulder, smiling at the trio of children that were spinning Elijah around.

“Right, thank goodness we’ll have a bit of relative peace until then. Imagine this place with a full house!”

Dom frowned, remembering the last time the Monaghan-Boyd clan got together. He was still scraping things from the ceiling.

By the time Billy had passed out drinks and showed the kids to their room, an hour had passed. Despite this short amount of time, Dom already felt weariness settle over him. He wondered if he was truly overwhelmed by the hustle of all the relatives, or if it was the piggy back ride he had given his niece Janice. As soon as he sat down, however, the doorbell rang.

“Bugger,” he mumbled, and when no one moved from their spot in the sun, he got up, grumbling something about Murphy’s Law as he headed for the door.

The unexpected visitors were none other than his in-laws: Billy’s sister Margaret, and her husband.

“Hullo!” She grinned up at him, her small face lighting up in a way that was so much like Billy’s it made Dom’s belly squirm. He wondered and hoped the Boyd Beam  was genetic.

“Hullo yourself! When did you guys arrive? Why didn’t you call us? We could have picked you up!” He pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing her head.

“Right now we’d appreciate you just letting us in,” Margaret’s husband replied good- naturedly, as Dom hugged him briefly. Their children, two boys, were more than a bit shy, and weren’t quite sure about their “Uncle Dom,” a fact that bothered him. As he helped them into the house, he frowned at the appraising gaze Thomas gave the room. He wondered if part of the reason his boys weren’t sure about Uncle Dom was because of their Da’s opinion of the couple. He had, after all, bowed out of the wedding.

Margaret, however, bolted down the hall like a little girl, an all too familiar giggle pouring from her throat, as she called for her “William.”

Though Dom lingered behind, he didn’t need to be near them to know the surprised and pleased face that Billy would have as he rose from his lounge chair and embraced her warmly. Bill would never object to seeing Maggie, even when unexpected. She was literally all the family he had left.

“Right then, is everyone here and accounted for?” Dom inquired with a clap of his hands, and a teasing glance at the door to the house.

“Aye.,” Tom answered.

“Yea,” his dad Austin agreed.

“You don’t have anyone in your pocketses, do you? Anyone being fed-ex’d?” Dom playfully leered at the group.

“No Dom, the red-haired lass you wanted won’t arrive until your birthday,” Margaret remarked.

“Red-head?” Elijah cocked an eyebrow.

“Lass?” Billy chimed in.

Their brother-in-law chuckled. “Oi, if ya wanted a lass, ya could have just gotten Billy-boy here to put on a wig-“

Dom cleared his throat, and took a sip of his water.

Strike one, Boyo.

Ever the diplomat, Elijah shifted the conversation.

“So, where did James say he wanted to go?”

“He didn’t. We’re supposed to call tomorrow night.”

“You’re going out?” Matt perked up.

“Yea, not sure where though.” Dom sighed.

“You’d better go to a club’” Their sister-in-law offered. Dom’s brother nodded in agreement.

“And get all the shagging you can too while you at it,” Maureen, Dom’s mum, supplied. Dom sighed. Ever the practical one.

“Mum-“

“It’s true, Dominic. Once those babies arrive-“

“You’ll hardly have time to piss much less shag,” his father finished.

“Well I hardly think we’ll be shagging like rabbits with present company in town.,” Billy responded dryly. “We can go to a club if you like, Dommie.”

“You can shag with us in the house, we don’t mind,” Matt assured them.

“We do,” Dom and Billy quickly replied in unison.

“So are you going to the club or not? We’d like to go, that is if we could get a babysitter…” Dom’s brother peeped at the grandparents.

“I’ll watch the kids, if you pay me,” Maureen offered, her voice far more charitable than her body language suggested.

“Pay you?” His brother scoffed.

“How much?” Margaret interrupted; her eyes alight with a mischievous glint.

“Fifty quid an hour.”

“Fifty quid??” Billy squeaked. “Boy, remind me not to have you guys watch the babies. We’d go broke.”

“Oh, we’d watch _your_ kids for free, dear,” Dom’s mum assured.

Dom’s brother pointed a finger at her, his mouth open like a 7 year old.

“Why’s that?”

“Because they remembered our birthdays, and live in another bloody country.”

Billy looked down at his lap, a smug grin on his face. For the sake of future babysitting necessities, he opted not to tell them _he_ remembered their birthdays, and reminded Dom at the last minute.

“Fifty quid isn’t bad when you think about it, we won’t be gone for long and by the time we leave, the kids will be asleep. I’m sold. We haven’t been out in so long.” Margaret leaned over and shook Mrs. Monaghan’s hand.

“Yea, yea, fine. Bloody highway robbery this is,” Matt grumbled.

“Told you we’d get our gambling money for Vegas, honey,” Mrs. Monaghan remarked, as she took a sip of her drink.

@

The next day Dom woke early, intent on using the Saturday to do a bit of shopping for the house with Billy. It was the first weekend Bill had been free in months. True to form, Daisy was very affronted by the realization that she would not be joining them, but a kitchen full of children eating perked her right up, as she’d have crumbs galore to lap up by mid-morning.

The men left her to her own devices.

As they came out of Home Depot, arms laden down with new storage shed miscellany, something caught Dom’s eye.

A baby girl was toddling down the walkway of the shopping center alone.

Without hesitation, Dom scooped the babe up, a worried frown on his face.

Billy trailed behind him, his lips parted in confusion.

“Dom?”

“Where’s your mum, gorgeous?” Dom bobbed the baby gently, as she took great interest in his sunglasses. When he took them away, she squirmed, and fearlessly slid down from his embrace onto the ground, before taking off down the walkway in the blink of an eye.

Dom and Billy followed her, Billy cursing under his breath.

Dom caught up with her, and scooped her up again playfully, and she giggled, too distracted by the growling noises and airplane ride he was giving to attempt an escape. When Bill reached them, the two men paused, wondering where to begin looking for her family first. She squirmed again, wanting down, and Dom allowed her to walk. De kept a firm grip on her chubby hand as she pulled him into a store, her gaze fixed.

“Do you think she sees someone?” Bill murmured, following her.

“Dunno.” Dom admitted, smiling politely at a very pregnant lady who was leaving the store and had stopped to admire the little girl.

The trio passed through the second set of doors, baby leading the way. When they got inside, both men paused, their mouths agape, taking in the sight before them. The store was a warehouse, full from floor to ceiling with baby goods from diapers to bouncers, and very very loud. Young toddlers the same age as their mystery girl ran around the store, chased by parents who were hissing commands to stop running, or “put that down.” Pregnant women, (who truth be told frightened Billy a bit) waddled from aisle to aisle, arms full of tiny clothes. Many wore that small secret smile (first time mothers), while others wearing a mask of determination, (repeat mums who were bent on the clearance rack). Dom led the little girl to what he discerned was the security desk, and they stood in line, noticing there were at least two other small children who were “lost.”

Billy made the mistake of wandering, a shy curiosity settling over him when he noticed wall decorations for a boy’s room. He crept over to the display, picking up small sports themed decals, and smiling. Unbeknownst to him, his exploration had taken him dangerously close to a clearance display, and he soon found himself barricaded between two bellies, and women who looked as if they would skin him alive if he _really_ intended on buying the powder blue onesie he held in his hand.

“It’s 60 percent off,” one woman told him matter-of-factly, as if that in itself would be all he would need to know to justify why his personal space was so violated.

“I, ehm, I don’t want to buy anything, I was just looking.” He stammered hands up as he backed away slowly.

The second woman’s face softened a bit. “You looking for a present for someone?” Her hands rubbed her belly absentmindedly, in slow even strokes, and a small bud of warmth filled his chest, as he wondered if Eva did the same. He imagined the gesture would be very soothing to the babies.

“No, we ah, we’re having twins actually.” A small smile creased his face. He reminded himself that they had been trying to avoid this store actually, and were only here to find the little girl’s mother.

The first woman beamed.

“Twins? Congratulations! I don’t envy your wife,” She chuckled, and held up a long sleeved outfit to appraise.

Bill laughed, wondering if he should correct her, but finding that gesture a moot point, as Dom approached him. He knew they would know in a matter of moments that he had no wife.

“You find young madam’s mum, Dom?” He worried his eyebrows a bit, and looked down at the little girl, who held onto Dom for dear life.

“No, damn it all. The guard remembers seeing her though, so he’s going to page for her mum.” As if on cue, the page system boomed, spreading the message throughout the store.

The second mother eyed the couple curiously, her face settled into what both men had come to recognize as the “Do I know you from somewhere?” expression.

Dom supplied the answer. “Lord of the Rings, Merry and Pippin, respectively.”

“I knew it! You guys look so different in person!” She beamed at them, but didn’t dig for an autograph, a gesture for which both men were grateful. Signing autographs was always a conspicuous action.

“Hey, aren’t you two married?” The first mother asked, and then blushed a bit, perhaps thinking her question was rude. “Sorry, none of my business,” she mumbled.

“No worries,” Dom laughed. “We are,” he added shyly.

“And now you’re having a baby? Twins even?” The second mother added a small smile on her face.

Billy shifted his feet awkwardly, and made a silly face at the girl, who had begun to squirm with boredom.

“We are. Most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me, actually,” Dom replied, and Bill met his eyes, sharing a secret smile.

“You two should register,” the first mother advised.

“It’s so helpful, and best of all, you get free gifts,” the second mom added.

“Oh, no, we couldn’t. Neither of us would feel right asking straight out for gifts like that.” Bill shook his head.

“Besides, we aren’t having a shower, so there is no need for us to register.” Dom shrugged.

“Of course there is!” Mom Number One gasped. “Your relatives are going to get you things anyway, better they get something you can tolerate, instead of something hideous, like a 48 piece Raggedy Ann bedroom and clothes set,.” She shuddered.

“Not that you’re speaking from experience or anything,” Dom teased.

She opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the raised voice.

“Olivia?” A fair-skinned black woman weaved through the crowd, her face lighting up when she spotted the little girl holding onto Dom’s hand.

“There you are! Oh my God, I was so scared.” She scooped her daughter up, kissing her sandy hair, and smoothing it down. Her warm brown eyes looked up at the men, and she sighed with relief. “I cannot thank you enough! She scared me to death wandering off like that! My husband still can’t console her brother- he thinks he lost his sister.” She laughed breathlessly again, before stepping on her tip toes to plant a brief kiss on their cheeks.

Both men blushed.

“It was nothing, really,” Dom purred, as he made another silly face at the girl he now knew as Olivia. She giggled, and reached her small hand out to swat at his nose.

Behind her, a tall blonde man strode over to them, a young boy of about five clinging to him, and he smiled gratefully at the men.

“Thanks so much.” He sighed once his wife had told him Dom and Bill had found Olivia. He kissed the top of his daughter’s head.

“Like we were telling your wife, it was no problem,” Billy told him, and the two made to leave.

The tall man placed an arm on Dom shyly. “I make jungle gyms for backyards and my wife is a huge fan, so if you ever need one give me a call. It’s the least I can do, really,” he said in a rush. He slipped a glossy card into Dom’s fingers and the family slipped away, back into the fluorescent and pastel jungle.

Billy stared after the family for a few moments, before his eyes met Dom’s.

“What do you think our children will look like?” Billy asked quietly, his gaze flittering over the crayon box of children that surrounded them.

Dom shrugged.

*

They were arm-wrestled into creating a registry after Dom’s mum called and commanded them to do so, so that she might enjoy some shopping later this week. This sentiment was chorused by other friends and relatives, who, somehow had heard they were in the damn store. Hours later, the two left, exhausted and overwhelmed.

“I’m knackered. I vote for a nap when we get home.” Dom yawned, and slid into their car.

“We won’t get much time. James will be calling you in a few hours.”

Dom groaned.

“S’not my fault. You’re the one who told your mum where we are.”

Dom frowned. “You’re the one who got so excited over the cribs.”

“Safety is important, and we haven’t gotten a crib yet.”

“We haven’t gotten anything yet Bills, except food. And that’s no reason for you to have demanded to see the specifications of _every_ model they sold.”

“Of course it is. Did you see some of the warnings those death traps had? I’m not putting our kids in something that’s been recalled.”

Dom considered telling him how often cars were recalled, but decided against it. He liked their car, and besides which, he wasn’t done paying for it.

“I might have spent some time on the crib, but you’re the one who was like a kid in a candy store. Honestly, some of the things you registered for?” Bill turned at an intersection, waving at a neighbor.

“Such as?” Dom challenged.

“A diaper genie, for example. Why the hell do we need a rubbish can in the room other than an old fashion one?”

“You going to smell shitty nappies in the middle of the night? Because I won’t. Besides, I know I won’t be able to get your lazy arse to take the dirty nappy outside.”

Bill chuckled. “You’ll be lucky to get me to change a dirty nappy.”

“You better,” Dom mumbled, and rested his head against the window.

“It was ah, kinda nice though…the little clothes…made me feel like it’s almost here and happening,” Bill spoke softly.

“Yea. And the blankets are so soft. And the lotions are sweet and clean. That’s how they’ll smell.” He felt the corners of his lips curl.

“Usually,” Bill amended.

Dom laughed. “Usually.”

*

“Everyone ready?” Dom questioned.

“Yeah!” His niece cheered, jumping up and down over to him.

“You can’t go, little bit.” He snatched her up and kissed her.

“Why not?” She frowned.

“Because we’re going someplace for boring old farts. If kids go they get covered in warts.”

She looked at him scathingly, as if he was mentally ill.

“Sure, Uncle Dom.”

“Go on, go on! The party’s just getting started!” His mum shooed them out, pulling her granddaughter close.

“Goodnight everyone!” Dom waved, and stepped into the cool spring air.

“Don’t wait up for us,” Matt leered, as she shut the door behind them.

*

The truth of the matter was that Dom and Billy hadn’t been out “clubbing” in more than a year. Maybe even longer. See, with all the preparations in finding a surrogate, finding Eva, and the strain of the in vitro, they really hadn’t taken time to really relax and let their hair down, so to speak.

Dom wondered if they would even remember how to act.

The February air was cold, but not uncomfortable; it rarely was in LA. They were meeting most of the old gang in some trendy club in Sunset – recommended by Orlando. As they slipped out of their car, flash bulbs went off – something they’d almost forgotten, since they had all barely left their home while preparing for the arrival of their babies. Billy pulled on the old face, the celebrity face, as Dom called it, and waved a hand at the collection of reporters that gathered round their crowd. Dom, true to form, made a face that wavered from dead sexy to down right ridiculous, and gathering their relatives close, they pushed their way through the crowd and towards the club.

“Mr. Monaghan, Mr. Boyd, tell us about the health of the surrogate! Do you know the gender of the babies?”

Dom hesitated a moment, the sudden urge to share his joy licking up his throat. The sensation shocked him, and he turned to Billy for a moment. The man’s back was to him, as he was involved in guiding their relatives.

“Well, we ah, she’s doing great! Getting big, as you can imagine, and I’m sure she’s just about ready to have them. We uh, don’t know the gender, actually, and we decided not to find out, for the surprise ya know?”

“Any preference?”

Billy turned, taking in the sight of Dom working the reporters, and smiled softly.

 _Dommie_ he thought fondly.

“Preference? I prefer Guinness over Budweiser, grape over apple juice…”

The small crowd chuckled.

“I have no preference, though I ah, think Billy wants a boy.” He smirked. “As long as they are healthy, and mum is healthy, we’re glad.”

Just then, lithe arms wrapped around his side, pushing him forward a bit, and he turned, surprised, and chuckling.

“James?”

“Dom!”

The two men embraced, laughing. James kissed Dom on the cheek warmly, and Dom clapped James on the back fondly.

Something unsettling wiggled in Billy’s stomach, but he tamped it down, smiling weakly when Margaret peeped out from the club to see what was holding them up.

“Where’s Dom, ah?” she breathed, nodding when she saw him and then clucking her teeth. “Such a ham.”

“Aye,” Billy rumbled, unable to smile at his animated exchange with the press.

Margaret eyed him. “Don’t let the green eyed monster let you see something that’s not there, Billy.”

He turned to face her, his lips parted to deny it, but the rise of Dom’s voice stalled him.

“Well, guys, it’s been great talking to you…” Dom’s voice trailed off, as he staggered to the club, his arm wrapped around James’s waist.

As Dom reached the top step, he leaned in close to Billy, smiling at an exchange of friendly words between James and Billy.

 _Maybe I was wrong,_ Dom shook his head, as he guided Bill inside, hand on his back gently.

 _Maybe I am right_ Billy bit back a frown, his gaze fixed on the breath of space between James’ fingers and the inside of Dom’s wrist.

*

A wise woman once called alcohol a social lubricant, and on that there were never truer words, as the small crowd of people came together, after months, even years of separation. Former lovers were reunited, old quarrels hovered in the wings, eager to be brought up again, and in the swirling room of Technicolor sex and rock and roll, and it was a pregnant woman that saved the day.

Eva surprised Dom and Billy and joined them for the night out. Her first words?

“Let’s go to the bar.”

Of course she abstained from any of the finer cups of debauchery they had to offer, managing to get an ice cold glass of milk instead, but she wisely assumed that the men would do well to have a cool beer in their itchy palms.

Once a few heady swigs had disappeared into mouths and stomachs, everyone visibly relaxed, and once again, those blessed with the power of estrogen herded the group, goading them into dancing.

The wisdom of _that_ suggestion, on the other hand, was debatable.

The interaction was much like it had been in the past, the bass thumped deep in their bellies, pulling at a desire forced dormant and docile, thanks to visiting relatives, and a busy work schedule. The floor was packed, musky, hot, and filled with the breath of heat pressing against damp skin. Dom and Billy pressed together, so close their thighs caressed one another’s with every thrust and sensuous swivel of hips. Billy forgot just how fucking hot Dom looked when he danced; hair clinging to his forehead, lips parted and shining, his eyes flinty steel with wet lashes, as he looked at everything that moved with half-lidded eyes. He also forgot how popular this would make him, as he watched the old gang clamber to be near him, pale hands landing amiably onto Dom’s hips, fingering low slung jeans, and parting the wrinkled white shirt where Dom had “forgot” to button along the bottom.

Billy watched, distracted, as James moved in, his warm chocolate hair falling forward over his hazel eyes attractively, a small smile on his lips. He pulled Dom close, laughing, as the two dipped their knees in sync with the song, their arms high above their heads, in a silent praise to the heavens. When they spoke, they leaned in close to one another, so close their lips brushed against skin, and Billy fancied Dom could feel the faint scrape of hairs James missed whenever he had shaved last. He bet Dom could smell the cedar and spice of James’ aftershave, and as if to punctuate this thought, he saw Dom’s nostrils flare, and watched as his eyes dilated with desire. He swallowed hard, taking in the sight of writing bodies. A spiteful yellow light fanned across the crowd, landing on Dom and James, and as the light pulled away, the cool band of silver around Dom’s finger glinted. Billy stepped back, a strange tightness in his chest, his eyes searching for someone else on whom he could focus, with whom he could talk.

It was a lost cause.

His friends were part of the throng, pressed tightly together, moving happily with the music. Part of him laughed inwardly at the face Matt made, as his eyes rolled back, and his hips bounced along to the music. It would seem rhythm ran in the family. Even Margaret was enjoying herself, as she held onto her husband’s arms, moving them awkwardly along. They were sandwiched between Orlando and Elijah, who were making eyes at one another over their shoulders, mouthing the naughty words of the song, and then twisting their faces up in giggles.

Some things never changed.

Billy pulled away from the energy and sat tiredly onto a bar stool, raising his hand for the barkeep.

“The usual?”

Billy nodded, tapped his fingers twice on the counter, and fished out money.

“Make it a double, Richard.”

Richard nodded, blinked, and pulled out the bottle from below the bar.

“Life that bad, William?”

Billy turned, smiling sheepishly at Eva, and shrugged.

“Just enjoying the numb sensations that come with it.”

She frowned, not buying it, and waddled closer. A couple was between them, obstructing their view of one another. She paused in front of them, smiling in a polite but firm manner that clearly said “move” and they did, after doing a double take at her condition.

The young man peered over his shoulder, taking in Billy’s eager expression, and snickered.

“Shut up.” His date admonished, and Billy shook his head, and swallowed his drink roughly.

“Spill it, Billy.”

He hesitated, not comfortable enough to voice that which he knew would sound silly and unlikely.

“I’m being an idiot, that’s all. Nothing for you to worry about. How do you feel? Our kids treating you well?” He reached out shyly, and touched her belly, shocked and pleased to feel what felt like an epic battle for space. She breathed through her nose, her face damp with sweat, and nodded grimly.

“As well as can be expected. They _are_ your kids.”

“Yeah.” Billy stared off into the crowd, his gaze searching for Dominic.

“He’s not going anywhere.”

Billy blushed, wondering if his jealousy was that obvious.

“How do you know?” He murmured softly.

“Should I begin with the fact that you’re about to be parents or the fact that he can’t speak more that two sentences without bringing you into the conversation?”

Billy smiled, and looked down at the empty glass, spinning it in his fingers. “How do we know that it’s not out of obligation, or habit? How do I know it’s still the same?”

“We don’t. We won’t. Nevertheless, that’s no reason for you to sit back and take it. Go out there and find out, and if he’s forgotten, _remind him_.”

He looked at her, a wash of fondness overtaking him.

“Don’t get Hallmark on me, Boyd. I’ve enough of that shit on my own, I am pregnant you know.”

He laughed, his voice thick, and nodded. “Right,” he cleared his throat. “Won’t happen again.”

She saluted, and then slid down the stool, refusing his hand when he offered it.

“And now, I have to find my husband. I saw him drooling at the DJ equipment, and I’d better get him, before I come home to a recording studio tomorrow. I’m wiped anyway.”

Billy slid down, nodding. “Sleep well.” He kissed her brow.

“I’d tell you to do the same, but I’m more inclined to suggest otherwise.” She grinned, and lost herself in the crowd.

“I’ve seen how you’ve been looking at me, lad.” A low voice growled deep in his ear, sending the hairs on his neck up.

“Dom-“

“Why don’t you take me home, and fuck me like you’ve been doing with your eyes.”

Billy swallowed, his throat dry, and his pants tight. He wasn’t sure if he could do this still, this play and taunt they used to do so well.

“I think I’d rather have a drink.” He replied coolly, raising his flashing eyes to peer at Dom. “ I don’t get the impression you’re much interested in me, and I’d rather turn my affections someplace where they’d be appreciated.”

Dom pressed closer, obviously pleased with the game, and pressed a damp hand possessively into Billy’s waist. “I’ve got years of experience, and a rather expensive ring round my finger that disallows such sport, Boyd.”

Billy willed himself not to press back, and raised his eyebrows. “Thought you might like to take up swinging, so you might see what’s out there. I know an old man like me must be boring, when you’ve got fresh meat throwing themselves at you.” His gaze flitted over to James, who was now flirting shamelessly with Elijah.

“I’ve long graduated from puppy chow, Billy.” He laughed low, his lips brushing against Bill’s ear. “God you smell good. I was thinking about that out there, talking to James. His aftershave was so strong, I kept thinking about you, about yours, and how crazy it makes me. I nearly got hard against him, and had to pull myself into the bathroom to calm down.”

Bill growled, low in his throat, the tension in his chest loosening up pleasantly. “Did you have a good wank?”

“Nearly. But then I reminded myself that I didn’t have to wank anymore, not when I have you.”

Billy laughed outright, and turned to face Dom. “You married me to tire my wrist out then?”

Dom grinned, and pulled them away from the crowd, towards the back. “Who said anything about you using your wrist?”

Billy swallowed, his mouth already recalling the faint salt and musk he hadn’t tasted in so long. Too long.

“Dommie-“

Dom pulled them further still, around the back, and against the wall, his face drawn and fierce.

“Been hard with the relatives about, press about, everyone’s eyes on us. I’ve had to play nice with all these people, when all I could think about was you.”

Billy groaned, pleased his own tensions had been shared, and without thinking sunk his sharp teeth into the shining cord that jutted out of Dom’s neck. Dom moaned rolling his eyes back as a warm tongue lapped at the flowering bruise, mouthing words of apology against his damp skin. Down the alley, voices grew louder, and they could hear the scuffling of heavy feet against pebbles and damp pavement.

“Come on Dom, I’m not keen on giving Los Angeles a free show.” He inhaled, taking a cleansing breath, and moved the brick out of the way, pulling them back into the stifling heat of the club.

They made their way over to their friends and relatives, smiling stiffly at their jostling and giggling.

“You about ready to go home?” Billy shouted over the music, motioning to the door at his sister and brother-in-law.

“No, you lads go ahead! Orli already said he’d take care of getting us home! If not, we can hail a taxi.”

Billy hesitated, looking at his sister with a softened gaze. “You sure?”

“Yes, William, now get home! You’ll need your rest-“

She made to continue, but blushed, and hid her flush in the crook of her husband’s arm.

Billy blushed, sure he knew what she was suggesting, though not inclined to deny it. He intended to use his bed quite thoroughly tonight.

Dom drew in, smiling at his in laws then shrugging. “Matt and company aren’t ready either. Guess it’s just us old maids.”

Billy smiled, kissed his sister, and pulled at Dom, bringing his ears close to Bill’s lips. “Two old maids and the back of a limo to ourselves.”

Dom grinned, waving at their companions, and pressed out and into the night air.

*

“Shite Dom!” Billy moaned against Dom’s throat, his hands shaking as he fumbled with the buckle of Dom’s jeans, eager to dip his hands in and clamp down on the heat that was pressing so amiably at his hip.

Dom growled low in his throat, his uneven teeth still licking and nipping just below Bill’s ear, a space that had long been revealed as particularly sensitive to Billy. Dom snaked his hands down simultaneously, easily tracing the outline of Bill’s arousal through his pants, squeezing the head gently, before pulling his hand away abruptly.

“What’s wrong?” Billy panted, pulling Dom’s lips into a wet kiss.

“Nothing,” he murmured. “We’re home.”

Billy swallowed, groaning at the unfairness, and raked his hands though his hair. They couldn’t check in with Mum looking like too flushed teenagers who were just necking in the back of the limo. He willed his body to cool down.

Dom re-buckled his pants, blushing at Billy, and tried vainly to straighten his shirt and smooth it.

“Come on,” Bill pulled at his wrist, and out.

Dom slipped the key into the door, Billy pressed close to him, and they stumbled a bit noisily into the foyer, smiling. The house was quiet, save for what sounded like the faint noise of a television in the den, on the far side of the house. Though their first inclination was to bolt upstairs, lock their door, and start the wild monkey dance of love, manners kicked in, and both felt it appropriate to thank their parents for watching the kids, even if it wasn’t _their_ kids the two had watched.

Dom padded down the hall, setting his keys on a small table, Billy just behind him. They reached the doorway to the den, Dom’s lips parted and ready to call out, before both men froze, horrified at the sight before them.

“Mum!”

“Dom!”

“Dad!”

“Dom! Billy!”

Billy stepped back, his face ashen and torn between laughing inanely, or screaming in horror, and the couple scrambled to pull the throw blanket over their bodies, for a bit of privacy.

Dom scrunched his face up, his disgust evident, as he scrambled to move Billy out of the way.

“What, what are you doing home so soon?” His mum called after them, her voice shaky, as she tried to smooth the embarrassment down with a bit of normalcy. She had found a robe from somewhere, and was trying to secure it as she followed them down the hall and into the kitchen.

“We felt like turning in early,” Billy supplied, his face pleading with Dom to calm down.

“Oh, well that’s nice,” she squeaked, her hands fumbling with the kettle to make tea, her back to them.

“We didn’t mean to ruin your plans, mum,” Dom grumbled. And you can keep the robe,” he added petulantly.

“Dominic!” Billy hissed.

“Oh get off it, Dom.”

“And the throw too, hell the couch for that matter,” Dom snapped, raising his voice.

“Dominic! Keep your voice down the kids are sleeping,” His father scolded, now emerged, wearing what appeared to be Billy’s robe.

“I’m sure you were very quiet,” Dom rumbled, his face still drawn, not looking his parents in the face.

His mom opened her mouth to retort, but Dom held a hand up, storming out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Billy turned to face them, his gaze falling on their foreheads. “I’m sure he’s just tired, and a bit embarrassed. I can imagine if you’d walked in on us…”

His voice trailed off, his face red as he remembered some of the positions their friends had found them in.

“He’s not used to us like that, I guess.” Austin sighed.

“S’not like we’ve worn our love lives on our wrists, Billy.” Maureen supplied her face a bit bashful. “He’s never seen us, ya know…”

“Aye,” Billy croaked, nodding. “Well, just give him time to cool off, you’ll see, he’ll apologize for not being more understanding.”

 _Even if I have to wring his neck,_ Billy complained, suddenly ashamed of Dom’s immaturity.

Billy padded up the steps with a sigh, and ran a hand over his tired face.

 _Talk about killing the mood,_ he snarked, as he crept down the hall quietly, until he came into their room.

One of the best features about the house was how far the master bedroom was from the other rooms, something that had been part of the main reason they had chosen the house. Bill placed his sweaty palms on the handles of the two French doors, and stepped into the room, calling for Dom softly.

“What Billy?” He grumbled, as he stared up at the stars through the skylight.

Billy swallowed his irritation, well used to Dom when he was in a mood.

“Dom-“

“Don’t try to talk me down from this shite mood, Billy. I think I’m entitled.”

Billy felt the edges of his control wither.

“Entitled? Entitled to what?”

“How would you feel if you saw your parents shagging like hamsters on your couch? What would you think?” He snapped, and stood up.

Billy growled, “I’d think ‘Oh shite, my parents are alive! And shagging!’”

Dom flinched, and turned to Bill, regret etched across his face. “Bills, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

“Well you did. You take so much for fucking granted, Dominic. You should be thankful.”

Dom blinked, abashed, and angry. “I should be, you’re right. But it doesn’t make this any easier, Billy. It doesn’t make how I feel any less valid.”

“No one is saying that, Dominic. We’re just asking for you to lighten up and stop acting like a child!”

“Why should I? Everyone expects me to behave like I’m in nappies, so I might as well fit the bill.”

“What are you talking about?”

Dom heaved a sigh, and rubbed his chest, a nervous habit.

“I can’t help but feel everyone’s skepticism, Billy. They expect me to fail.”

Billy sighed, irritated to be having this discussion again.

“Fuck them, Dom. Fuck everyone that doubts you.”

“Even you?”

He frowned.

“What are you talking about? I don’t doubt you’re abilities for one moment. You’re a capable adult.”

“That why you spent the better half of the night getting pissed because you thought I was in the back shagging and old friend?”

Billy looked down, properly admonished.

“I-that wasn’t about you, Dominic. That was me.”

“Tell me,” Dom commanded, drawing in close.

“You worry so much about failing as a parent, as a member of the family. But you’re always the center of the focus of the room, even when you’re not trying. I just, sometimes I wonder how we got together, and why we stay together,” He added softly.

Dom pulled back. “What are you trying to tell me?” His voice was thick.

“That I don’t know if I’m what you need, Dom. Sometimes, I think I’ll bore you, bore the kids, and I’ll be the old crank in the family.”

Dom heaved a sigh and laughed softly. “You’re already the old crank, Bill. But you’re my crank.”

Billy smiled.

“I’m not looking for anything I can’t find with you Bill. I knew what was out there when we got married.”

“But, you were so scared, Dom. You used to go on so much about how being married and a father terrified you.”

“It still does, not that my family does much to make me feel better, with mum being the safety Nazi and Elijah spouting quotes from parenting books.”

Billy laughed.

“Someone once told me, that they were scared, but that they didn’t mind being scared, if they didn’t have to go at it alone.” He brushed his lips against Bill’s neck softly.

“Hmm, that someone was a wanker. He forgot what he learned, when he almost lost you.”

“Hmm,” Dom hummed.

“I shouldn’t doubt your feelings, Dom. That’s not fair to you. Besides,” he rumbled low.  
“I can be anything you need me to be, Dom.”

Dom looked at his glittering eyes, his shock and arousal evident. “What?”

“I’m adaptable.” He grinned. “The secret to a great relationship is mutuality.”

Dom smirked. “So you need to be an immature fuck up, and I get to be the stupid jealous tosser?”

Billy smiled. “I was thinking something more along the lines of me giving you a blowjob as good as the one you gave me two nights ago.”

Dom gulped. “When did this turn into make up sex?”

“This isn’t make up sex. I’m still very disgruntled with you.”

Dom snorted. “And you want to put your teeth near my cock?”

“This is the part where I reassure myself by pleasuring you so well you forgot about what’s his name.”

“James.”

Billy frowned against denim. “You’re killing the mood here.”

“Like seeing Mum nude didn’t?”

“Dom.” A smiled tugged at his lips.

“The horror!” Dom cringed.

Billy snickered, unable to keep a straight face, and pulled himself up.

“I think that’s the first time you’ve distracted me from such activities.”

“I don’t need you to do that to know I’m blessed to have you in my life, Bill. I spend the better part of each morning thinking that while Daisy and I watch you sleep.”

He blushed, and Billy kissed his chin.

“I love you, Dom.” He pressed his lips against Dom’s more insistently, his tongue brushing against Dom’s lips shyly. Dom hummed softly, opening his lips, both men lavishing the slick hot feel of tongue and the scrape of hungry teeth on their lips.

When the inevitable need for air drew them apart, Dom licked his swollen lips, and dug his fingers into Bill’s hips.

“M’sorry I was a prick about Mum and Dad. It’s just been too much of everything at once.”

“I know, but you need to tell them that. They were embarrassed too.”

Dom nodded, and kissed Bill softly.

“I’m sorry about James, Dom. I shouldn’t have even thought it possible that you would do that to me, to us.”

Dom smiled ruefully. “Especially when we have no history to speak of.”

Bill pulled back, shocked. “You don’t?”

Dom wrinkled his nose. “Gods no. He’s too pretty for me. And he snores, man like you wouldn’t believe.”

Bill frowned. “But I snore, and are you saying I’m not pretty?”

Dom cocked an eyebrow. “The last time someone called you pretty, they lost a tooth.”

Bill could admit that.

“So, um, was it a fluke, or did I hear mention of someone offering to demonstrate mutuality?”

Billy smirked and tugged at Dom’s pants. “Only if we’re ok. I’d like to have make up sex after this disgruntled possessive blow job.” He punctuated this with a firm squeeze.

“Sure thing, boss.” Dom squeaked, all but ripping his shirt off as he stepped back towards the bed.

“No,” Billy replied softly. “I want you to stand.”

Dom gulped, wondering if he would be able to maintain his composure if Billy did this on his knees, but the feeling of Bill’s warm fingers fumbling with the zipper chased that thought away. He pulled it down slowly, freeing Dom’s cock, and then licked his lips – a move that nearly made Dom’s heart stop.

Dom bit his lip, willing himself to keep still, and be quiet, a suggestion that nearly failed as Billy lapped at the slit of Dom’s cock, before dragging his tongue to swipe the flushed underside.

“Be quiet, stay quiet,” Dom murmured, and Bill smiled against the smooth warm skin, before swirling his tongue around the head. Dom made a strangled noise at the back of his throat, and swayed a bit, before settling his shaky hands on Bill’s shoulder. Bill bobbed lower, taking the head of Dom’s cock into his mouth, and sucking experimentally, tasting the salt, and testing the level of arousal, to see how far he could take this.

He did, after all, intend to get fucked tonight, even if Dom didn’t realize that.

The carpet began to rub into Bill’s knees, as he took Dom deeper, relaxing this throat as he swallowed sweetsaltbitter, and fondled Dom’s balls. He drew back and pushed the foreskin back, swirling his tongue over the sensitized area, and then pulled away, at the warning sound that gurgled from Dom’s throat.

“Bill?” Dom asked his eyes hazy with arousal, and a bit confused.

“Want you, Dominic,” he purred, pushing Dom back onto the bed gently, as he peeled off clothes. “Don’t care about bloody relatives, or any company, just want to feel you like we haven’t for weeks.” He grunted at the feel of Dom, as he pulled the younger man atop him, all tangled limbs and sweat. Dom groaned, and kissed Bill’s collarbone.

“Billy…” Dom’s voice trailed off ineffectually, as he kissed Bill’s skin in the moonlight, rubbing his nose at the faint glow of stars on his cheeks. He’d seen Bill in many settings, with his lips parted from want and need, but he’d never thought he’d seen him look as genuinely beautiful before, nancy as that sounded.

Bill would have none of it, and pulled Dom down roughly, his lips thin with a determination to feel all of Dom, and feel him now. He pressed into the man until he was flush against his body, and then parted his legs, pleading for entry.

“You haven’t-“

“I’m ready,” he hissed, and dug his heels into Dom’s lower back to emphasize his point, as Dom nudged at his entrance.

“I don’t want…”

“Please,” Bill breathed, gasping loudly as Dom sunk into him, so deep the mattress dipped, and their hipbones rubbed.

“I’m hurting you.”

“No,” Bill lied, savoring the burn and stretch, reminding himself to relax, so that it would begin to feel good.

And it did.

Dom pulled back experimentally, his face contorting with pleasure, and then he pressed back into Bill, slowly, so that the man would have a moment to adjust to him with every stroke. He waited until the lines in Bill’s face softened, and his bowtie lips parted, and then, with a grunt, he grabbed his hips, and thrust sharply. Bill cried out, loud in the silence of the house, and slapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes rolling in pleasure as he moaned against his hand.

“Don’t you dare stop, Monaghan.,” he hissed, and then rocked his hips up to meet every stroke, whimpering as he felt his prostate being caressed into toe-curling pleasure.

The two men needed this: a good mattress-pounding fuck in the moonlight. It had been too long in coming. The tension melted away, as the room filled with the tang of aftershave and musk. Dom lavished every bit of skin he could will kisses or nips. Billy dug his heels in, pulling Dom close until he was nearly trapped, sucking in air through his teeth as Dom whimpered, close to his orgasm.

“Not until I have, Dommie. Wait for me,” He pleaded, his hands scrabbling up Dom’s slick back, wanting to press him just a bit more. The bed squeaked softly, the plush pillows rubbing against the sheets gently, just barely covering their labored breathing and muffled groans. Dom threw his head back, his eyes closed, and licked his lips, mouthing obscenities as he felt himself slide deeper, clenched in a tight hot blanket of pleasure.

“No one else sees you like this,“ he growled, suddenly overcome with how glad he was to be here, to be Bill’s for life. He kissed the palm of Billy’s hand, his tongue brushing over his wedding band. “And no one will see me like this, ever.” He added, his voice cracking as Billy muttered breathless agreements, before his orgasm slicked their bellies.

He thrust a few more times, his hands clasping Bill, milking him for a few more aftershocks, until the man writhed beneath him again, as a particularly potent aftershock jolted him. He feel of Bill clenching around him, as well as the play of emotions across Billy’s face undid Dom, and he felt himself coming deep within him with a poorly stifled groan.

His arms gave out, after many minutes of complaint, and his lower back howled the chorus. He was getting too old for this.

“That, Dommie, was fucking amazing.” Bill kissed his forehead, and chuckled at the tired expression that Dom wore.

“Hard work,” Dom mumbled, burying his nose into the side of Bill’s neck, already blinking rapidly as sleep overcame him.

As Billy pulled the sheets over them with his free hand, Dom pulled up his head, his face soft, as he remembered the last coherent conversation they had had before shagging.

“I love you more, Bill.”

Billy rolled his eyes, both at the pure sap of the discussion, as well as the contented grin that was plastered on Dom’s face.

“Must everything be a competition?” he grumbled, a smile tugging at his lips, as he drifted off to sleep.

*

The weeks passed, filled with soft apologies from Dom and his parents, hyperactive children, and a few visits from Eva, who seemed to get bigger with every day. She had a smaller frame than most, was almost petite some would say, and this made carrying twins to term quite a challenge. Both Dom and Billy were encouraged to read up on caring for premature babies, as the rate of premature delivery was higher in multiple births, and the more they read, the more worried they became.

There were many risks with childbirth.

Still, excitements buzzed about the house and among their friends, who made themselves more available as the important 32nd week approached. At 32 weeks, Eva would be in her third trimester, and while this wasn’t an ideal week to give birth, it greatly reduced the list of complications that would loom over the delivery as it was.

The family grew restless, silently cursing their impatience and wishing they had waited a few more weeks to arrive, so that they would not only use their vacation prematurely, but also would not wear out their welcome in the house.

While Dom and Billy were certainly more agreeable with one another, they seemed a bit creased around the edges so to speak, and secretly longed for their privacy and some peace and quiet.

Among the friends that would visit often, bearing gifts for the baby, some were old friends from the Fellowship, and Bill and Dom were most pleased to see them. Usually. To their amusement, everyone had a theory as to the genders of the twins, and would bring gifts suited to that gender. Ian was sure they would have daughters, and almost every week would stop buy, a darling dress or poppet in his hand, grinning smugly.

“For our dear Elizabeth and Moira,” he would say, kissing the men on their cheeks, as he removed his hat or jacket.

On one particular occasion, Viggo, Sean B, and Elijah happened by, two out of three men hiding pressies behind their back.

“I got the kid a bat,” Sean mumbled shyly. “I don’t know much about baseball, but I figured with him being a yank…”

Dom snorted, but took the bat graciously, kindly leaving out the fact that they were expecting twins.

“I know I wasn’t supposed to get you guys anything, but,” Elijah grinned, and produced a gigantic teddy bear, nearly as big as he was.

“Thank you, Lijah.” Billy took the bear, and hefted him to the pile of toys at the base of the stairs. He was quite certain that the gifts were too much for two babies, and was going to announce his desire to give them to charity after delivery.

“I don’t have anything material to offer, but I do have a gift,” Viggo muttered, as was his wont, putting his mug down. “I’d like to paint your nursery.”

The couple looked at one another, flattered, but admittedly worried, as they were familiar with Viggo’s “unique” style.

“Wow, that’s um, amazing Viggo. Thank you.”

Viggo beamed, clapping his hands together, as he leaned foreword.

“But Viggo, we can’t take that gift from you,” Billy replied, gently.

Viggo frowned. “Oh. Okay.”

“It’s just that,” Dom began, his mind racing to fill in the blanks. “We promised Dad that we would paint the room together, simple colors, like a family tradition, and it would break his heart for us not to do so.”

Bill nodded in rapid agreement, silently praising Dom’s quick mind.

“Not a problem. Maybe I could just paint something for the room then.” He smiled thinly, and plucked up his mug.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in awkward silence.

*

“Why do so many people have to get so damn weird before life altering events?” Dom complained, as he tapped his feet onto the floor of the car.

“What do you mean, Dommie?”

“Take our wedding for example. Remember how funny people were acting? Pissed over napkins, where they were sitting, what gifts we opened first at home? It was crazy!”

Bill chuckled, remembering how Orlando felt hurt to discover the two had opened Sean Astin’s present first.

“Now Viggo’s been pouting for weeks, because we’re too terrified to let him paint our baby room, knowing he’ll fill it with bright abstract colors, and shapes that will probably land the kids in therapy.”

Billy giggled. “Yeah, prolly full of black and white, and wasp yellow.”

They pulled up at Orlando’s driveway and grinned.

“I hope he’s forgiven us, Bill, because I don’t want to sit through this housewarming party, watching the man make faces at it.”

“He won’t, Dom. He’ll just write pissed off poetry about us.” Billy added, as he stepped out of the car.

The two stepped up into the doorway, and Dom pressed the doorbell.

Orlando opened the door quickly, as if he was waiting for them, and flashed them his brightest smile.

“Come in! Glad you could make it!” He plucked the gift from their hands, and motioned them to come in.

They followed, their eyes turned up to take in the lovely house.

“This is, amazing, Orlando.” Billy whistled, as he stepped down into the foyer.

“Thanks. Come on, the party’s in the backyard.” He led them through a massive kitchen, and then stepped out the door. They could hear laugher and sounds of a party wafting from the yard.

“Come on, Bill. Sounds like the party started without us.” Dom took him by the hand, and the two stepped outside.

“Surprise!” A crowd cheered, then clapped happily, some whistling or shouting varied greetings of felicity in a few different languages. Cameras flashed, and the couple blushed, taking in the baby themed balloons, and tablecloths, that decorated numerous tables.

The event was huge, so much so that a band had been called in, and three gigantic grills were fired up, armed with a few old friends. Kids ran about the lawn, giggling happily, already full and bristling with energy. Dom turned to Bill, tears pricking his eyes, and gave his hand a gentle tug.

“I’m going to kill Elijah,” Dom whispered, his voice nothing but fondness.

“Me too,” Billy agreed. “Let’s go party, Dom.”

The two stepped down, smiling past their blush, kissing and hugging their guests. As they suspected, Elijah was behind the party, though he’d had a great deal of help from Orlando, Dom’s parents, and Eva herself.

“Every baby deserves a shower, even if the parents are men,” she scolded, and then gave up a clothespin so she could cross her leg. Dom shook his head.

Hours later, their feet hurt, their backs hurt, and they were still giggling at the events of the party. The two did have to admit, however, it was nice to see such a massive outpouring of people, eager to celebrate the family they were starting. The guests even approved of their sending some toys to charities, and in the spirit of their charitable mood, the two cornered a pouting Viggo, and asked him to paint the nursery.

“Dad doesn’t feel up to it. Says’ he’d rather design the dresser or summat” Dom assured, a bit guilty now that he saw the pleased look on Viggo’s face.

“Just keep it simple, Viggo. We don’t know what we’re having.” Billy warned.

“You’re having girls,” He replied. “I can tell by the way she’s carrying.”

This might have been ground breaking news, except _everyone_ said that, and harbored at least three different convictions as to the gender.

“What do you think you’re having, Eva,” Sean Astin had asked, during one of the quieter moments of the party.

“Girls,” she hummed, rubbing her belly absentmindedly. “But I’ve been wrong with both pregnancies, so don’t ask me.” She chuckled, and kissed her daughter, who had run up to her.

Later that night, the couple had a bit of a debate themselves, and both were pleased with the outcome of said debate as it had to be settled with a bit of floor wrestling…or something like it. And once their bodies gave up, they curled under the sheets, remarking at the longer days, and warm nights, silently wondering when their babies would arrive.

Little did they know, they didn’t have long to wait.

Eva was now 33 weeks.


	6. Chapter 6

“Eva’s in labor.”

These three words had plagued Billy’s dreams for over a month now; the cold fear and twitchy excitement that clutched his throat would wake him, sweating. He was sure Dom felt the same, as he too would stumble into the kitchen rubbing the dark circles under his eyes, distracted.

Eva was in fact, not in labor, not yet at least, but she certainly seemed as if she wanted to be. Her belly was so tight her children could bounce coins at it, and she was admittedly exhausted and uncomfortable. She had been a real trooper about it all, rarely complaining, and managing to tolerate the media onslaught that they would suffer whenever she would be seen with Dom and Billy.

When she reached her 37th week, (a feat no one expected her to accomplish) the men grew anxious, and requested that she stay with them for the remainder of her pregnancy. They hadn’t planned on this initially, but when Mum commented on the speed of deliveries once a woman has given birth before, the two panicked, thinking they would arrive at the hospital and miss the moment in which their children came into the world.

Eva’s children were thrilled at the prospect of having a gigantic sleepover for a few weeks, as they had recently met Matt and Margaret’s children. The pack got along famously. Eva’s husband was tolerant, albeit a bit wrinkled around the edges, thanks to sleepless nights, and his own anxiety over the health of his wife.

In short, tensions were high, space was limited, and everyone had one desire in mind: the birth of the babies.

Eager to diffuse the tension and distract from the desire that was not spoken, Dom sagely suggested a movie marathon in their TV room. This would give the crowd of people something to do.

The day of said movie night was like a mini-reunion as sweet as their baby shower just a few weeks before. Varied members of the Fellowship turned up, eager to see their friends, but also curious to see the nursery Viggo was said to be unveiling that afternoon. He had been holed up in there for weeks, smattered with what appeared to be a myriad of paint. He would only work nights, so as not to disturb the house, but also so that no one would see what he brought into the room for decoration.

“'s like he’s building an H bomb or something,” Dom had teased one afternoon. He had tried to come in to offer the artist lunch and he had forcibly removed Dom from the doorway.

The morning of the unveiling, Viggo grew very nervous, wringing his painter’s hat in his hands, and chewing off more nail than Elijah could ever hope for. In truth, Dom and Bill were just as nervous, considering they had paid his studio a visit, and found he was going through the “multi-colors that clash” phase in his career. Dom was a big fan of color, more so than Bill, but even he was not interested in a nursery that would look like one of Orlando’s old shirts.

No one could concentrate much at breakfast, and the usually boisterous table was quiet, as all kept stealing glances at clocks and watches, waiting for three o’clock, the hour in which Viggo said the room would be ready, to arrive.

Around two, their nephew managed to slip into the “naughty bug” shed at last, plucking up a hungry Gidget, thinking it would be amusing to show the girls his find. At exactly 2:03 pm, a wail that would do a soprano diva proud peeled through the house, as Astin Monaghan ran screaming down the hall, arms flailing, Gidget pressed atop his head. Behind him, the children ran, giggling, followed by Mum, who was trying in vain to keep her husband still long enough for her to get the poor spider off of him.

It was Billy of all people that saved the day, pinning Astin down with his quick reflexes, and separating man from arachnid. Pandemonium immediately ensued, as Billy lit into his nephew with sternness and brogue the young lad had never seen before. To make matters worse, the lad’s own mum and dad joined in, in an accent slightly thicker, but no less severe. Accusations were thrown, “she shouldn’t have taken that extra turn on the game, mum!” As well as predictable denials, “Did not!” Daisy added her two cents, as well as the birds on the porch that could hear everything and found it amusing to repeat the one word Billy Boyd was not supposed to say in front of the children. Dom intervened and restored peace in the house once again.

“All creatures under 16 are to retire to their rooms and shut it until they find a new attitude, or they will be banned to the shed for a time out!”

The wave of silence that fell over the house was palpable. Cleo the exotic and stinky dung beetle was in the shed this week for circumstances Dom didn’t want to talk about.

Too soon for the adults, and too long for the children, three o’ clock rolled around, and Viggo emerged from the room, a small smile on his lips that revealed his nervous satisfaction.

“It’s ready.” He replied simply, and backed out of the way to let the crowd of people in.

What they saw took their breath away.

Viggo had created a world of imagination, in shades of green and soft yellow. It was a painted replica of the shire, Bagshot Row to be exact, furnished in rich woods that were reminiscent of Bag End. He even painted a party tree, and added wood frames for photos on every bough, and in each frame there were pictures of Dom, Billy, and other close friends and family.

“Viggo, this…I don’t know what to say.” Dom choked out the last word, and pulled the man into an embrace.

Billy, with tears in his eyes, followed suit, leaving the rest of their family and friends to sing the praises of his handiwork. There was a subtle Celtic knot border painted into the wood paneling that lined the ceiling, as well as a small shelving unit, with places for pictures to be added. It would seem at a glance that the pictures seemed to highlight the story of Dom and Billy. Bill stared at the small snap shots, candid mostly that had been nicked from his box, and smiled softly at Viggo.

“I wanted to tell the story of your family from the beginning. I hope you don’t mind.”

Bill ran his fingers over the framed notebook paper, one that said “Seven Days” and the other “Marry me Merry” and shook his head.

“It’s perfect.” He replied softly, still staring at a candid of Dom as Merry, smiling at the camera.

The emotional high both men felt was hard pressed to deflate anytime soon, and on that note they took the family into the den to watch movies. The kids, of course, wanted to watch Lord of the Rings, which, for once, they obliged. All adults knew the movies were so long, that the kids would be out by Return of the King which was probably a good thing, since half of the parents would be crying by then.

It was as they suspected, and by midnight, the den was a makeshift dormitory, as several bodies lie curled up on sofas, chairs, and pillows, snoring softly to the sound of Frodo’s exhausted talk with Sam atop Mount Doom. Eva gently pulled herself up, unable to sleep as usual, as her body was too uncomfortable, and her mind too full of excitement to see the babies. She also had to use the bathroom she mused with a mock grimace, as she waddled towards the bathroom. She motioned to open the door, but found it locked, and a guilty reply from Dom was all she needed to know to know she would need to use another bathroom. She didn’t bother getting near the second bathroom downstairs, seeing the light on in the darkness, but turned around, and headed upstairs instead.

Her lower back was hurting her fiercely, and it had all day, but she was pretty sure that was due to the change in bed. Still, climbing stairs didn’t help these things, and by the time she made it to the bathroom, she had broke out in a sweat, and found her hands were shaking a bit.

“Uh-oh,” she whispered, realizing her symptoms were rather familiar, as she sat on the toilet. Before she could say “water broke” or “mucus plug” all hell broke loose with her reproductive organs, which seemed to read her mind. As she wiped, she saw the tell-tale, but still unnerving proof of her mucus plug no longer in place, and a few steps in the bathroom sent pains so fierce she cussed under her breath shooting from her back to the backs of her thighs.

She tip-toed herself downstairs, her face cringing with the worry that her water would broke before she got to the hospital, and she knew _nothing_ would ever get that stain out of the abundant rugs scattered throughout the house. Once she made it downstairs, now flushed but able to see a pattern to her pain, she approached the still full den, and clung to the doorway.

Dom, Billy, and it would seem Mr. and Mrs. Monaghan had returned, and looked up at her, their faces as blank as four people who had just stole off to the bathroom for a quick shag _could_ look. For half a moment, Eva smirked, wondering if either knew what the other was just doing, but her body drove her attention back into the moment with a well placed stab of pain.

“What,” Dom rumbled, his eyebrows crinkled.

“It’s time,” She replied, as her body doubled over from a new contraction.

Those words were like a gunshot going off at the beginning of a horse race, and everyone in the house seemed to hear it, and sprung to life. The children popped up, bright eyed and bushy tailed, squealing with delight, and twirling each other around in a circle. Dom and Billy leapt from their seats, and paled no less than 10 shades, and Billy seemed to be stuck on the word “Ehm.” Dom ran over to her, softly asking about the length of time between contractions, and of course, any other symptoms she had been having. Moments later the house was a hive of Amazonian ants, as everyone save Eva was assigned a duty to do, from leaving water down for Daisy, to locking the bug shed. Her suitcase was hauled down, and a few adults ran clean into each other in the hurry to get ready. Eva herself managed to sneak a quick shower while everyone else ran around hysterical, as she was in no mood to give birth feeling sticky and even more disheveled than she would be shortly anyway.

For a brief moment, a lick of fear curled around her throat, as she wondered if this delivery would be better or worse than her other two, but she shook that away as she pulled on a shirt, and barked for the crowd to move out before she birthed the kids in the foyer.

On the way to the hospital, Eva made a mental note to cut her uterus open with a key and deliver via emergency cesarean before she let herself ride in the car with Billy again. The man drove like a maniac.

Once she arrived in the hospital, she made a note to take said key, still warm from her surgery, and cut the balls off of stupid orderlies who ask dumb questions like, “Are you in any pain?” when she was clearly red, and breathing like a asthmatic hippo.

Upon being settled into the room, Dom mused that women in labor weren’t all that bad really, once you got them good and comfy in a bed.

Upon having his fingers sprained not one hour later by said woman for going “Ewww” when the nurse examined her, he decided to amend that assessment.

Three hours into labor, Eva was not a happy camper. It would seem she had progressed rather quickly, and was in danger of losing the one thing she really wanted most out of the affair: the epidural.

“You’re progressing very quickly, Eva. We don’t think it would be prudent to give you the epidural so late, because it might slow the labor down, or you might be too numb to push.”

Billy noticed one of Eva’s eyes enlarge and twitch, and opted to be the voice of reason.

“Ah, I don’t think it would be prudent to not give her the epidural. One of us is likely to lose fingers.”

He motioned to Dom, who was in a corner with an ice pack, still grumbling under his breath.

The doctor chuckled, and shook her head. “I know you feel like you’re miserable, Eva, and you are, but you’re so close now. If you hold out, I assure you you’ll thank me in the end. I can give you something else to take the edge off…”

Her voice trailed off, heavy with a tone that said “Not going to happen.”

Eva glared, her hair damp against her forehead, and breathed out Lamaze exercises.

“How far am I?”

“You’re effaced at 10.” The doctor replied.

“When-“ She huffed. “When I arrived, they wouldn’t give it to me. Said the anesthesiologist was on call, but busy in surgery.” She huffed some more, her knuckles white from the force of her grip on her husband’s wrist. Billy winced in sympathy, and made a note to stay on her good side tonight.

“Yes we did. We had no idea you would dilate so fast, Eva, even if this is your third delivery.”

Eva growled. “I was at 7 when I rolled in here! I could have had drugs!” A contraction so strong it literally rippled across her belly kicked in, and she howled, and ended the cry with a sob. “Now I have no drugs. No goddamn drugs! Give me drugs!”

She whimpered, and threw her head back, and her husband joined in her low moan chorus.

The doctor blinked.

“Eva, within the hour you will be pushing. If you take it easy now, and work hard then, we can have a baby or two by sunrise.”

Eva snarled, and whimpered. “Give me the happy IV”

One hour and a bag of “happy IV” later, the doctor proved correct in her prediction, as Eva sat up, a bit groggy still, and was encouraged to push. Dom and Billy were close, the family behind her, several armed with video cameras. The nurse warned that everyone save the fathers and husband would be kicked out when she got closer, but for now, everyone was ok with the arrangement.

Everyone but Eva that is. Elijah apparently didn’t quite understand her desire for him to film from the waist up only, she quickly made the desire clear to him, thanks to a well timed snatch at the collar.

Forty five minutes later, and Dom and Billy were as green as she looked, sweating along with her, as she cried and tried her best to stay calm amidst the wave of pain that gripped her until she feared she would vomit. She could feel the shift of bodies, and the insane pressure, and wailed her desire to have the kids out and out right this minute god damn it.

At 5:17 am on May 10th, she got her wish.

Megan came first, all slime and a shock of strawberry blonde hair. She wailed at the top of her lungs and trembled ferociously, so much so that Dom and Billy stammered their concerns to the pediatric RN who took her vitals.

“Is erm, that normal, love?” Dom stammered, as she wailed, and hit notes that were sure to break the sound barrier.

“Mmmhmm. She’s healthy too! Six pounds, three ounces.”

Billy stared, his lips parted in awe though he was a *bit* green still, from the sight of varied fluids that were wiped off her.

It was impossible to tell who she looked like, though she was beautiful. She kept her eyes squished shut, as she howled, her tiny fists and feet curled as her body shook with the effort to cry. Her skin was fair and mottled thanks to the enormous squeeze she underwent to come into the world.

Before the men could properly touch and coo over her, her sister came into the world, though not without a bit of difficulty. It would seem she had big shoulders, which Eva found a bit hard to clear. For a few tense moments, the doctor worried she would have to use something to assist, but their concerns were waved as Michaela came sliding out, so fast the doctor nearly dropped her. Eva laughed both from relief and the sheer emotions that washed over her and her husband kissed her, murmuring a soft word of praise. The two quieted however, as they took in the sight of Dom and Billy, who were introducing themselves to their daughters.

“Hullo Megan,” Dom murmured, the softest sweetest smile ghosting across his lips as he gingerly rocked her back and forth. “I’m your dad, Dom. And this is your other Da, Billy.” He propped her up, as if to show her Bill, who wore the same expression.

“You have to open your eyes to see me, mo cridhe.” Bill whispered, as he ghosted his lips atop the flushed forehead of his daughter, and smiled. As if she heard him, she opened her eyes, which were clouded with a shade of newborn blue. The nurse commented that it would take a few weeks before their true eye color would be discernable.

As Dom cradled Megan, Bill was offered Michaela, who was still wailing her protest against the cold, being born, and the world as a whole it would seem. Her dark hair was spiked in a million different directions, as she screamed, and Billy only laughed, clear and carefree as a bell, and kissed her damp cheek. “Don’t cry mhuirnín, Daddy’s here.”

He looked up at the nurse who was recording their initial vitals. “Big girl.” He didn’t even bother to hide the pride in his voice.

“Yep. Bigger than her sister. She’s six pounds 5 ounces.”

Dom grinned, mischief shining in his eyes. “Who’s taller? Er, longer?”

“Michaela. She was 19 inches. Megan was 17.”

Bill looked down into Michaela’s face, smiling at the intermittent wails she let out, before yawning, and dozing with a very familiar frown on her face. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she had Dom’s lips. The two stood there daughters in arms, bouncing gently and whispering softly to one another.

“And when you get bigger, I’m going to teach you how to ride a bike, and your Da will no doubt have to pad you from head to toe in bubble wrap so you won’t scratch your pretty skin,” Dom murmured, kissing Michaela’s cheek. He glanced up at Bill, who was smiling at his family, a serene look on his face.

“I love them so much, Dom,” he choked, surprised at the force of emotion that surged in him. “I’ve only just met them, and I love them so much.” Tears glittered in his eyes, and a fresh set leapt into Dom’s eyes. He nodded silently. “I never want to hurt them, never want anything to hurt them, and I never want to leave them,” Billy whispered, knowing full well that these were unattainable goals every parent made. “I love you,” He breathed, before leaning over their children, to kiss him softly. The shift in their positions disrupted the girls and their sleep, and the men were repaid with a new round of wails.

Dom looked down at Meghan, who turned redder by the moment, and then up at Billy.

“She gets that from you, you know.”

Billy laughed. It was probably true.


	7. Chapter 7

Dom held up his daughter, face wrought in concentration. Michaela was up, as usual, for her 4 am feeding, and as usual, was not being patient about things. She stuffed a fat fist in her mouth, squirming in the baby seat he had propped on the table, while he waited for the bottle warmer to indicate her bottle was ready.

No matter how fast the damn things _claimed_ to be, they were never fast enough for his M &Ms.

He grinned, and flicked on the radio, turning it down softly when he remembered how loud he had it the night before. He and the girls had been cleaning the kitchen, well, to be more accurate, he was cleaning, they were watching, and producing more drool than he thought possible out of two small mouths, but still.

He fancied his daughters rather liked Jimi Hendrix, based on their quiet state while he did the dishes.

He scuffed back over to Kayla, as she had been called now, and made the silliest face he could muster. Her lips quirked.

“No worries, love. Daddy’s gonna get you some breakkie in two shakes.”

She blinked, still not very impressed, and he sighed, plopping down at the table next to her.

Sometimes, it was rather unnerving to look at someone who looked _so_ much like him.

Both men had been reluctant to get DNA tests to determine the girl’s paternity, because 10 weeks from the time they were born, the gesture seemed pointless. No one could look at Michaela’s nose and lips, and _not_ know her father was Dom, anymore than they could look at Megan’s filtrum not know a Boyd had fathered her.

Of all the features Megan could have inherited from her Da, Dom was secretly most pleased at this, even if he did feel sorry for Kayla’s poor nose.

“Nothing a bit of surgery can’t fix,” he mumbled playfully, reaching forward to tweak the aforementioned feature fondly. Truth was, her nose was adorable, far smaller than his really, and besides which she was healthy, which was the most important thing.

The fact that both men had managed to father a daughter was a blessing far beyond their wildest dreams, and every day, Billy would shake his head in amazement.

As if sensing they were the topic of Dom’s musing, Dom heard the telltale click of Daisy’s nails, and sure enough, seconds later Billy scuffed in sleepily carrying Megan, and stifling a yawn.

Father and daughter both were shirtless, and had matching hair-pale spikes pointing in every different direction. Megan blinked at him, and let out a lazy whimper.

Dom’s eyes flitted down to the peak of rusty hair that trailed down Billy’s belly, and curled his toes.

_Feed them first, shag him later._

Now reminded of the task at hand, (though Michaela had begun a new chorus of wailing to get her point across) he pulled the bottle from the warmer, placing a new one in, and tested the milk on the inside of his wrist.

It was perfect.

 _First tea, now milk._ he gloated, and plucked Kayla from her carrier.

“C’mere love,” he murmured, his lips curling despite his sleepiness as he eased the bottle into her mouth. She sucked readily, thus beginning the slow but peaceful breakfast routine.

As she was now three and a half months, she could look about a bit, and pause from time to time, partly from exhaustion, though usually to grin at Billy, as he chirped his good morning to her, while kissing her fat hands.

But today, she seemed restless, and discontent, and by the time she was halfway through her bottle, her face was contorting unpleasantly, beads of sweat on her tiny forehead. Dom plucked her up, laying her on his shoulder so he might burp her, a niggling worry curling in his belly.

Something was wrong, he could feel it.

“What’s the matter, little bit?” Billy queried, feeling it too, as he looked over Dom’s shoulder to see her face. As if on cue, she started wailing, her volume much improved from those first days when the men _dared_ to think they were loud.

Those pitiful “laa”s were nothing compared to the howl they were capable of now.

She wouldn’t let up, not when Dom tried to soothe her, even going so far as to change her burping position in case it was gas. This did nothing to appease her, in fact, she cried more, and Dom and Bill struggled to keep the lick of panic down.

This had never happened before.

Perhaps because of her own discomfort or maybe out of sympathy for her sister Megan began to cry, her body turning red from head to toe. With her strawberry blonde hair, and nearly translucent skin prone to blush, Dom had dubbed her Gimli, a nickname her temper readily lived up to.

“Now now,” Billy soothed, pulling her from her seat. “S’ok mo cridhe, you don’t need to be crying too. Shh, shh, don’t cry.”

Both men paced the kitchen, bouncing the girls gently, and then, on a hunch, switched off, thinking perhaps the change of perspective would do the girls some good.

Nothing worked.

At length, when their wits were about to leave them, (like Daisy had not 15 minutes before) the girls quieted one after the other, thanks to a solid burp, and what would no doubt prove to be a soiled nappy too.

“That’s better,” Dom murmured, frowning at their digestive problems, and led Megan to their room.

Billy watched Dom leave, looking down at Kayla, still not wholly convinced their burping was the entire solution.

He was right, sadly, as Kayla proved, by squishing her face up anew, and winding up for a new set of crying.

Sure enough, Megan started up again, and to the two men, it felt like the girls didn’t stop crying for at least 2 weeks straight.

It would turn out the M&M’s had colic, which, strictly speaking, is a tendency to cry inconsolably as an infant, sometimes triggered by a change in diet, or indigestion. When asked if the girls had changed their formula, both men felt like shit, for they had indeed started switching the girls from Eva’s milk to formula prior to their first attack, and hadn’t considered the adverse affect the change would have on their children.

“I feel like it is our fault,” Dom had sobbed one exhausted night, after the girls had wailed for 3 solid hours. By the time the men could get them to sleep, they were tired, and weak, and Billy fiercely hated the tracks of tears that glistened on their faces, as he sung them a Gaelic lullaby.

Their house was in shambles, their internal clocks upside down more than usual, and they were short with each other, thanks to the stress of it all.

Sean and Elijah opted to pay the two a visit, after not hearing from them for a few days, and when they slipped into the house, they were very concerned.

There were piles of clothes on the steps, in the foyer, den, hell, in every room, and the house was stale and smelled of sour milk. Poor Daisy was jumpy and if possible, looked like she had lost a pound or two, no doubt unable to properly forage table food since her Daddies hadn’t exactly been eating regularly.

When they made their way to the den, they found Billy in a sitting position, fast asleep with his mouth open, a still damp burping cloth draped over his shoulder. The coffee table was littered with protein bar wrappers, and a few empty bottles, no doubt from the numerous feedings the men had endured over the past few days.

Dom staggered in, hearing the noise, and when the men saw him, they had to stifle their gasp. His beard was several days old, a week maybe, and his hair couldn’t have seen a comb, much less soap, and several days. He wore a soiled tank top, and rank looking shorts, and the bags under his eyes were pronounced.

“You look like shit, Dom,” Elijah remarked, his mouth agape.

“Thanks mate, and keep it down, Michaela just went to sleep.”

He collapsed onto the couch, face buried in the pillows, sleep curling over him.

“What…what happened?” Sean asked, fighting the bemusement that simmered in his chest. Oh, how he remembered those first few months, when a crying baby was a sure path to insanity.

“Colic,” Dom replied, his voice muffled by the pillow. He pulled his head back, face twisted in exhaustion and divine discomfort. “They cry…all of the time…non-stop…and nothing, nothing we do is good enough…they squirm like they are in so much pain, and I feel so helpless, Sean…” His lips began to tremble, and a tear slipped down his cheek. “So fucking helpless. I’m a failure as a father!” he wailed, exhaustion making him forget himself, and sure enough, his voice carried, and the faint but persistent cry from the nursery carried into the den.

Dom threw his head down, and cried harder.

Startled by all the noise, Billy woke, disoriented, and just as deliriously tired as Dom. Upon hearing the cry, he too broke down, rubbing his nose with hand. Elijah noted the pacifier attached to his index finger.

“Enough of this,“ Sean commanded briskly, and then got off the only clean chair in the house. “I know you didn’t want to burden anyone, but part of being a good parent is learning when to take help, and trust me, you two need help.”

Dom and Billy gazed up at him, and blinked.

“Go upstairs and get some rest. Real rest. Don’t come down until you are refreshed.”

“The girls,” Billy murmured.

“Elijah and I can take care of them.” Sean sniffed.

Dom woke up, a foreign energy stirring in him, and eyed Sean warily.

Sean looked affronted.

“I do have two lovely _healthy_ daughters, you know,” he huffed.

Dom blinked, still debating.

Bill was pretty much the only person he let _hold_ the girls, much less care for.

“Dommie, we do need the rest,” Billy urged softly.

For a moment, a hot accusation wanted to flare in his belly, but one look at Bill’s green eyes, and that sentiment was squashed. He loved his girls just as much as Dom did, but they were dangerously tired.

“We won’t be long,” Dom assured, pulling tired legs up the steps.

“Take your time,” Elijah assured, and then turned to face Sean, beads of nervous sweat pouring down his face. “What do we do now?”

*

Dom woke up to a pleasant smell wafting into their dark room, and for a moment, he wondered if he was dreaming. He smelled spaghetti and something sweet, like a pastry of some kind.

He pulled himself up, limbs still heavy, coordination fuzzy, and staggered into the bathroom, bladder full to maximum capacity.

He noted that Bill was not in the room.

Though he wanted to crawl into a shower and slough off layers of baby spit and sweat, he wanted to see the babies more, so with that in mind, he plodded down to their room.

He then realized where Bill had gone off to.

The girls were in their cribs, sleeping peacefully, and it took every ounce of self control not to scoop them up, and curl into his favorite chair with them on his chest.

When they were first born, they were so small, both fit, but now, the two were so long (and pudgy) that he knew their days of sleeping on Daddy’s chest were numbered.

A wisp of sadness curled around his head, and he shook it away.

He walked over to the Bill’s side, and smiled.

“How long have they been out?” he whispered, tucking a stray loose curl behind Meghan’s ear.

“Sean says about an hour.”

Dom didn’t bother to hide his shock. In the past week the longest either man could get them to both stay down was thirty minutes, and their sleep was restless and uncomfortable.

“How?”

“He says he swaddled them. Blathered on about how it makes them feel like they are in the womb still. Seems Kayla likes to have her bum rubbed too.”

Dom grinned. “Where would she get that from?”

“I have no idea,” Billy laughed breathlessly.

“This is hard, Bill,” Dom sighed, looking down at Meghan, who was sleeping comfortably wrapped on her back. This was another new phenomenon, as she liked to sleep like Bill: on her stomach, arms tucked, which was a danger to her, being so little.

Dom had read dozens of books and articles about SIDS, and would all but pull his hair out when he found his daughter had shifted onto her stomach in the night.

He also blamed Billy.

“It is, Dom. Hardest thing I’ve ever done, and I married you.” He dodged the expectant swipe. “Hard figuring them out. Don’t know what we’re doing really, and it irks to know there are people out there who could take better care of my daughters than I can.”

“Now you’re being silly” Sean murmured, announcing his arrival. “No kid comes with directions, it’s trial and error.”

Dom blushed, as did Billy, as they left the room.

“Besides,” Elijah supplied having overheard the conversation. “You should have seen how long it took us to get Megan to eat.”

Both parents laughed, well familiar with their daughter’s fickle disposition. It would seem eating bored her usually, and one had to distract her with conversation long enough for her to get some food in.  
Once in the den, the smell of food was pervasive to Dom’s belly, and it rumbled loudly. He put a hand there, looking at Sean pitifully.

“No good until you guys bathe. You’re rank, and killing my appetite.”

“That’s love for you,” Elijah teased, munching on a breadstick he’d swiped on the sly. Sean glared, both from his acquisition, and his remark, but didn’t scold him.

Dom climbed the steps, leaving Billy and Sean in a discussion about parental controls on the telly, his skin crawling with the desire to be under the hot jets and steam.

However, once he was actually _in_ the bathroom, his tub beckoned him, and he pondered changing his plans. Dinner wasn’t quite ready yet, and he couldn’t remember the last time he had enough time to take a bath. The concept now seems wholly luxurious, and biting his lip, he flipped on the faucet, and sat on the edge of the tub.

One day, he’d have to use all of the silly soaps and candles Ian had given them as a Christmas present, but he was pretty sure that day wouldn’t arrive until their girls were at least 16.

When the water was full, he stripped down, wrinkling his nose a bit, and gingerly stepped into the steaming tub, a contented sigh slipping from his lips.

It felt soooo good.

His hair clung to his head now in dark tendrils, and he leaned back, savoring the cool press of porcelain against his neck. Something moved in the doorway, and he smiled, keeping his eyes closed.

“Come on in, the water’s fine” he sighed, patting the edge of the tub blindly.

“I think I will,” Billy murmured, his voice low, in a tone that made heat pool in Dom’s belly. He knew that voice.

The door slipped shut behind him, and Dom could hear Billy undress and then approach the tub. Dom opened his eyes then, lips curled at the sight of Bill sliding into the massive tub, his arousal flushed and heavy. Dom moved to accommodate him, slipping his arms around him, and kissing his temple.

“I’ve missed times like this, Dommie,” he sighed, and leaned back.

“Me too, Bills.”

Billy turned his head, eyes dark and hungry, and with a wet hand, pulled Dom into a kiss. They were slow at first, lazy even, but truth was weeks had gone by since they had last had the energy to do more than kiss one another, mostly thanks to the girls and their colic. They were up crying so often, Dom had insisted they sleep with them, child development books be damned.

Dom turned Billy, so that his back was to the wall, and straddled him, face hungry and fierce.

“Bill-“

“I know, Dom,” Billy whispered, hands already on Dom’s cock, stroking him into a full erection, in a move that mirrored Dom’s. Hands fumbled for soap, which was then slicked against their hardness, and then stars exploded behind their eyes as their erections were pressed against one another, and gripped in their fists.

“Ah…” Dom sunk his lips onto Billy’s shoulder, to stifle his cry, and reared up on his knees for better friction, and to serve his ultimate purpose: to have Billy inside him.

He snatched up the bottle of bath oil that he thought wouldn’t get used for 16 years, and grinned, as he prepared himself, and then Billy with experienced hands.

Billy spread his legs, to allow for the weight of Dom atop him, and breathlessly, Dom impaled himself, a low groan bubbling in his chest.

“Christ, Dominic!”

Dom smirked, arms on either side of Billy and began to ride him, cock already hard between them. Like clockwork, Bill’s hands came to rest on Dom’s hips, helping him raise up, and then slam down again, short puffs of breath ghosting onto Bill’s face. Neither man had the stamina to last long, and after a few short rounds, they came, a soft gasp their only giveaway. Billy thunked his head back, a smile on his lips, and petted Dom’s back fondly.

“Mmm.” Dom kissed Bill’s neck wetly.

Their relaxed haze was interrupted by the sound of a cry, and Dom pulled back, face apologetic.

“I’ll get them,” he remarked, before Bill could, and while gone, Billy drained most of the tub, running fresh water again.

By the time Dom arrived, he had a new bath, filled ¼ of the way.

“Well look up’s up and bright eyed,” Dom announced, as he arrived, their sleepy-eyed daughters in his arms.

“Here,” Billy offered, taking Kayla, and kissing her sweaty forehead. She sucked on her pacifier and sighed. ”Have a good nap, love?”

“Mmm. I bet they did.” Dom gave Billy Megan, and slid into the tub himself. Once settled he plucked up Megan, and cupping his hands, wet her body gently.

The girls were too sleepy at first to properly complain, but by the time the men had washed them, (and took turns washing themselves) the girls were staring down at the bubbles in the water curiously, fist full of their daddies lips in hand.

“Well isn’t this a pretty sight,” Elijah leered, leaning in the doorway, arms crossed.

Billy laughed around his daughter’s grip, and flipped him off.

“Not in front of the children,” Dom admonished.

Elijah produced his favorite toy: his digital camera, and before either man could object, snapped a picture of the men in the tub with their daughters.

They were lucky enough to have their modesty hid by a well placed wash cloth and bubbles. Megan shifted, and stomped on her Dad’s groin, giggling.

“Oi!” he squawked, and pulled her up, so that her small feet were out of range.

Elijah and Billy snickered, as Elijah nervously scooped up Kayla, wrapping a towel around her.

Dom followed Billy’s suit, giving Megan to him.

“You guys have this? Or do you need help?” Elijah asked, his voice failing to hide his apprehension at the prospect of wrangling a squirming three and a half month old baby.

“Ah, no,” Billy laughed. “We’re okay.”

Dom leaned over Megan towel slung low on his hips, and grinned down at her. Though her little eyes looked heavy still, as if she hadn’t gotten enough sleep, they were brighter than they had been in days. She waved her arms, fingers curling as if they had a mind of their own, but Dom knew, if someone was foolish enough to slip something into her fingers, she would clamp down like a vice grip.

Billy was mimicking his actions, his face buried on Kayla’s belly making raspberries as she giggled. The sound of Billy’s breathless smile and the baby’s wet giggle was the most beautiful sound in the world to Dom.

*

Sean Astin was by no means relaxed over dinner.

Sure, he’d had his share of pasta, graciously accepted the praise over dinner and how clean the house was, but he didn’t do so with his usually flourish.

He didn’t even blush.

Something was wrong.

He waited until they’d had tea before he talked about it.

“So um, I take it you two weren’t watching TV this morning?” He placed his cup of coffee down, and folded his hands.

The set of his jaw reminded Dom of the terrible premiere in Wellington, and how Sean and assured Elijah _he’d_ not change his mind bout the state of their affair.

“Sure we did,” Billy replied, chewing on a cookie. “We watched, ah, Sesame Street.”

Dom nodded. “Why did we miss something?”

Someone had dropped a lead ball in his stomach all of the sudden.

“Well, dude, I don’t…” Elijah hesitated.

“Get the tape, Elijah.” Sean commanded gently. “Come into the den, guys.”

Elijah returned tape in hand, and popped it into the VCR.

“What are you on about?” Billy frowned.

“Shh,” Sean hissed, holding a hand up, as cued the tape.

“And we’re back here with Edith Wilson, a brave woman, sharing her story about a mother’s sacrifice.”

 

Bill and Dom leaned forward, curious.

“So, Edith, before the break, you discussed giving your daughter up for adoption to a gay couple in the seventies and how that affected your life. Do you know where she is now?”

Edith as she was called, nodded, and dabbed her eyes.

“I wouldn’t have, if she hadn’t decided to be a surrogate.”

“For the actors Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd.”

She nodded, and the men trembled. A picture of them from an event flashed on the screen, as well as a tabloid photo of the couple as they left the hospital, carrying their tiny daughters.

“Now,” Star Jones began, “That’s them with their daughters. Twin girls I think.”

Edith nodded again. “I didn’t even know I’d had grandchildren until I saw this on the news.”

“They didn’t contact you?”

Billy’s face flushed, as Edith shook her head. “No one has contacted me.”

“What do you want to achieve with this interview?”

“I want to urge mothers, women, to think hard about the decision to adopt. I can’t help but wonder how Eva would have turned out, if I’d kept her. Furthermore, I want to know my rights as a grandparent with these girls. I want to be in their lives.”

“BOLLOCKS!” Billy exclaimed, jumping up from his seat.

“Bills,” Dom choked. He was too shocked for the anger to have set in yet.

“She wanted NOTHING to do with Eva’s life, or her other grandchildren! She’s up to no good, and I’ll believe nothing else until proven otherwise!”

Elijah and Sean nodded, fully expecting his anger.

“Get PR on the phone, Dom, and our lawyer. I want to know why we had to find out about this from our friends instead of them. What the hell are we paying them for? And get me NBC on the phone. If they’re going to bring our private lives under America’s lens, they’re going to play fair. “

Sean whipped out his cell, Dom plucked up the phone, still numb and worried. Would this somehow affect their custody of the daughters? Did she have any rights under the laws? California still didn’t acknowledge their union as a legal marriage, would that mean anything?

No one was going to take their daughters from them, would they?

He dialed his lawyer’s number with numb fingers, a stark fear gripping his throat.


	8. Chapter 8

“So I understand you have had quite a tumultuous year?” Star looked at Billy, her voice surprisingly compassionate.  
  
Billy shifted on the couch, and ran his fingers through his hair, pulling the strands up into spikes-effectively ruining the style.  
  
Dom chewed the inside of his lip. He hated it when Billy did that.  
  
“Well I’d have to say yeah, we have, Star.” Dom leaned forward, knitting his fingers, and smiled ruefully.  
  
Star paused, still waiting for them to elaborate, and then gently prodded them some more.  
  
“So, were things resolved with Edith Johansson: Christian fundamentalist and mother of your surrogate?”  
  
“Aye, they were.” Billy replied shortly.  
  
Dom elaborated.

”She ah, was found to be in the wrong for posting pictures of our children, and we settled things privately.”  
  
Bill wanted to press charges, but there were threats of jail time, and though he was angry with her, he couldn’t with a clear conscience send a 59-year-old woman to jail.  
  
They could, however, accept that she had been heavily fined and put on probation. Billy and Dom made a point to have it publicized that her fines were put to good use in a gay rights organization.  
  
“Speaking of daughters, I understand you two are quite the proud papa’s.”  
  
Dom smiled crookedly; glad to be on a topic they could indeed go on forever about.  
  
“Definitely,” Billy grinned. “These girls, I’m telling ya, they are amazing.”  
  
“I’m sure every parent says that, right?” Dom laughed, passing a shy smile to Billy.  
  
“What are they up to now?” Star asked, smiling.  
  
“Well, Kayla, she’s just, man. She can’t keep still for shi- err,” Dom blushed.  
  
The audience laughed, and Billy shook his head, pointing at Dom.  
  
“She’s an active girl, is what he means to say.”  
  
“Right.” Dom assured. “We put them down on a blanket, and though they’re not really crawling yet, they just, kinda roll about, willy nilly style, to get where they want to go.”  
  
“Which, for Kayla, is always somewhere she shouldn’t be.” Billy added.  
  
“Right,” Dom laughed.  
  
“How old are they now?”  
  
“Six and a half months.” Dom supplied.  
  
“Wow, so I bet they are getting big.”  
  
Billy grinned.  
  
Michaela could put some other babies to shame. Not only was she adorably pudgy, but also she was strong, and already could move the coffee table with one hand.  
  
“They sure are.” Dom agreed.  
  
A stagehand held up a sign, suggesting the break for commercial was eminent.  
  
“Alright, well when we get back, we’ll talk with Billy and Dom about fatherhood, fame, and Dom’s chicken enchilada recipe.”  
  
Dom laughed.  
  
It all sounded so domestic.  
  
Star waited until the red light dimmed, and then, gently placed a hand onto Bill’s forearm.  
  
“You guys are doing great. I’m so…”  
  
She meant to continue, but they were interrupted by the nerve-shattering wail of one of the girls.  
  
Billy frowned.  
  
They had left them with the staff, and neither was all that comfortable around strangers for long periods of time.  
  
Since they’d been born, Dom and Billy hadn’t left them once beyond a few hours.  
  
They took them everywhere.  
  
“Michaela.” Dom murmured, recognizing the cry.  
  
“Mmmhmm.” Billy pursed his lips.  
  
The audience made a collective “awww” both as a response to the girl’s cry and the obvious distress Dom and Billy were in.  
  
Megan, from the sound of things, hitched her breath, and wailed along with her sister, and the volume was so loud, people closest to the backstage jumped.  
  
“Should I…” Dom trailed off, his eyes questioning Billy.  
  
They hadn’t really discussed bringing the girls onto the camera, but both had silently agreed it wasn’t something they were eager to do unless necessary.  
  
Yet, as the girls cried, and both men could imagine their tear streaked faces, and felt the worried twinge deep in their bellies, they knew it had become necessary.  
  
“I’ll go get them.” Dom announced softly, bounding up from the couch, and slipping backstage.  
  
Just off stage, stood two babysitters, each bouncing the girls, trying, and failing to hush them softly.

Dom smiled.  
  
The girls looked pissed off and teary.  
  
“Sorry Mr. Monaghan. They were fussy so we thought they’d like to see you on TV, but when they saw you, they freaked.”  
  
“No worries.” Dom remarked, pulling a whimpering Kayla from their arms, and shushing her softly.  
  
“Dad’s here love.”  
  
He held his arm out to accept Megan, and once the dynamic duo was in his arms, he turned and headed back onto the stage, silently hoping the lights, the faces, and the cameras wouldn’t overwhelm them.  
  
He had nothing to worry about.  
  
Once out into the lights, the girls grinned, seeing their Da, who was on the edge of the couch, waiting for them. He met Dom halfway, kissing the girls on their cheeks, and pulling Megan from Dom’s arms into his.  
  
“Now why were you two crying hmm?” Billy murmured, wiping the tears with his thumb hand.  
  
“Whatever it was, they’ve forgotten.” Dom laughed, shaking his head as Kayla grinned at Star, reaching forward to grab at the reading glasses that dangled on her chest.  
  
It was only when Star looked up at the screens behind them, that Dom was aware of the cameras filming.  
  
They had returned from commercial break.  
  
“Aww, they were probably uncomfortable back stage.” Star reasoned. “Do you have a regular sitter?”  
  
Dom shook his head. “We’ve not left them since they were born.”  
  
“What about when home? You don’t have help?”  
  
“Help?” Billy wrinkled his eyebrows.  
  
“We have friends that come over, but if you mean hired help—“  
  
“Right like a nanny…”  
  
“No, no nanny.” Billy laughed. “No one in my family could afford a nanny growing up…”  
  
“But you can now…”  
  
“We could. “ Dom agreed. “But then, where would that leave us? Not to rag on anyone else, but for us, we had these girls to raise them, to be with them…”  
  
“Through soiled nappies, and colic…” Billy piped in.  
  
“Till death or adolescence do us part.” Dom finished.  
  
The audience laughed.  
  
“So, if we had a nanny, then in a way, we wouldn’t work for it, for this parenthood stuff yeah? And it’d be like we’d missed the point of being parents.” Dom shrugged.  
  
“We didn’t have kids so someone else could raise them.”  
  
“Which, is why you have both cut back on work.” Star pointed out.  
  
“Right. We’re lucky though; most parents don’t have that option. Most parents have to take their kids to daycare.” Billy conceded.  
  
Dom nodded. “All we need to do to look at them, and think of some of our friends who have normal jobs, and we know, we’re blessed.”  
  
Billy smiled softly. “We’re more than blessed.”  
  
Star smiled.  
  
“So what’s the next project in your future, boys?”  
  
Dom smiled. “Boys?”  
  
Billy shook his head, laughing. “Oh no, you’ve done it…”  
  
Dom rubbed his chin. “Never thought about boys…”

Dom grinned. “No, the next big project eh?”  
  
He looked at Billy.  
  
“Kindergarten.” They replied in unison.  
  
The audience laughed, clapping enthusiastically, and the two men smiled, daughters in their arms.  
  
Dom met Bill’s eyes.  
  
Yes, they were indeed, more than blessed.

Fin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and because I’m really evil, I leave you with this bit written on the fly…  


“Da, I can’t believe Daddy is hiring a full Celtic band for our party!” Megan leaned heavily onto Billy’s shoulder, and sighed.  
  
“I can,” Billy replied. “He had a full tattoo for your first birthday, but you were too young to remember that.”  
  
Billy smiled, immediately remembering the video he took of the event. Dom smashed his face into the camcorder lens, waving frantically amidst the noise of the bagpipes, prattling on about his girls.  
  
_“Hullo mien M &Ms! This is your dad Dom here. Now you won’t remember this, years from now, but I wanted to let you know that I love you, and I always will. I’m so proud of you two, and you’re only one year old!”_  
  
“I do,” Kayla insisted. “Or maybe I was thinking of our tenth.”  
  
“The tenth,” Megan corrected. “Da got so piss drunk, Daddy had to haul him over his shoulder and put him to bed.”  
  
“That’s the official story anyway,” Dom teased, breezing in from the garden.  
  
“TMI Dad.” Megan wrinkled her nose.  
  
Billy snorted around the lip of his cup.  
  
Oh, if only they knew. Poor Billy had been miserable, realizing his babies were growing up so fast. He felt like it’d only been yesterday that he was afraid to give them a bath because they were so tiny. The next thing he knew, they needed training bras and appointments to the salon.  
  
He shook his head.  
  
Now they were all grown up—and about to graduate.  
  
Furthermore, Dom and he were set to celebrate their 20th anniversary.  
  
He’d spent over two decades with Dom.  
  
He watched as Kayla hopped onto Dom’s back, demanding a piggy back ride like she did when she was a lass.  
  
“Come on Daddy!”  
  
Dom laughed until he was hoarse.  
  
“Oi! Let an old man breathe! You’re too big to carry!”  
  
Megan giggled. “You’re not old dad.”  
  
Dom met Billy’s eyes, as he lowered Kayla to the ground, and rubbed a hand through his silver-blond hair.  
  
“Yes, love. I am.”

-TBC…eventually.


End file.
